Houtzen to decide her own campaign
THIS time last year Houtzen was sitting atop betting charts for the Golden Slipper.
Tomorrow, the Gold Coast filly resumes in Listed grade at Randwick with trainer Toby Edmonds hoping to use the race as a launching pad to more Group 1 targets.
“I think she’s in a pretty good spot,” Edmonds said ahead of the Fireball Stakes (1100m).
“She looks big and strong and trialled really good.
“The spring didn’t pan out like we might have hoped but she still won a Group 3 and I thought she ran as well as she could in The Everest.
“She’s grown and matured in her spell and has had a trouble-free prep.
“I’m hoping to get to the Sangster in Adelaide (on May 5) but it hinges around this first-up run. She will have to beat these (tomorrow) to be considering a race like that.”
If Houtzen were to return to her brilliant best tomorrow, the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill in a fortnight is an option.
The daughter of I Am Invincible has not raced since finishing ninth to Merchant Navy in the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington in November but won a 1050m trial at Randwick on February 27.
Houtzen is part of an impressive line-up of Queensland horses racing at Randwick tomorrow.
There will be nowhere to hide for gun Brisbane twoyear-olds Ef Troop and Outback Barbie against the silk department and trainer Tony Gollan wouldn’t have it any other way.
The pair’s Golden Slipper aspirations will be determined in the space of 70 seconds or so against two of Sydney’s benchmarks when Ef Troop takes on Performer (Todman Stakes) and Outback Barbie sizes up Estijaab (Reisling Stakes).
Gollan is itching to find out where his two Spirit Of Boom youngsters sit in the lucrative Slipper picture.
“Bloody oath. It’s great to be here,” he said.
“It’s no secret, these are the two best horses I’ve had since Spirit and Temple Of Boom.
“We’ve brought them down to find out if they are up to it.
“If they’re not, they will come home. Everything they’ve shown me says they are genuinely up to this grade and the market is telling you that too. They will run very well.”
Outback Barbie’s recent Gold Coast trial win has been well documented but Gollan felt Ef Troop went just as well.
“He wasn’t asked to trial like her,” Gollan said. “He did everything Jeff (Lloyd) asked him to do and the fact he relaxed and didn’t want to overdo it was very pleasing.
“He’s still quite immature, he’s very leggy and doesn’t have the heavy physique but he’s really developed a constitution now.”
I THINK SHE’S IN A PRETTY GOOD SPOT. SHE LOOKS BIG AND STRONG AND TRIALLED REALLY GOOD. TRAINER TOBY EDMONDS