Vega One emerges as Best contender
TONY Gollan insists Vega One’s Doomben romp was no flash in the pan and expects the emerging three-year-old to prove it in tomorrow’s Fred Best Classic at Eagle Farm.
The Fred Best offers the winner a certain start in the Stradbroke and asked if he would take up the option should Vega One win, Gollan didn’t hesitate.
“Bloody oath,” the trainer said. “He’s been like a work in progress and he’s still learning, but he’s a really nice horse.
“Going to 1400m on the bigger track holds no fears for me and to be honest, I’m not sure this race is much stronger than last time.”
Ratings experts assessed Vega One’s easy win in the Listed Queensland Day Stakes as one of the best performances of the carnival to date, posting quick time and a good margin over Groupwinning filly Multaja.
Gollan believes there’s still more in the locker for the gelding, who is by Santa Ana Lane’s sire Lope De Vega.
“I don’t think that was his lifetime peak performance. He’s going just as good now, if not better,” he said.
“If you look back at his form, even from his Sydney days, it always said he would get to a good level. His first two starts he was close up behind Zousain and Ringerdingding.
“So he’s always been a horse with untold talent and I think the Lope De Vegas get better with age.”
The one chink in Vega One’s armour to date has been his antics at the barrier, where he wants to put his hind leg on the ledge of the barrier stalls.
“He’s not harming anyone and is not a danger, but he’s just annoying everyone,” Gollan said.
“The barrier staff know him here in Brisbane and they are working with him every start.
“If he can keep stepping away on terms he can keep running really well.”
Tomorrow shapes as a key day for Gollan’s big carnival hopes.
Aside from Outback Barbie in the Kingsford Smith Cup, A Man To Match puts his Derby credentials on the line in the Grand Prix and Garibaldi runs in the Sires.
“If (A Man To Match) is a genuine chance in the Derby he needs to be thereabouts,” Gollan said.
“He’s trained on beautifully and is doing everything I want and probably more.
“Garibaldi was about to launch into full flight when that interference occurred last time and it clearly halted his momentum at a crucial stage.”
I DON’T THINK THAT WAS HIS LIFETIME PEAK PERFORMANCE. HE’S GOING JUST AS GOOD NOW, IF NOT BETTER TONY GOLLAN