Trainer Tony Gollan sent a tribute to embattled jockey Kristy Banks after her favourite horse Spirit Of Boom scored an emotional win in Monday’s $100,000 Goldmarket Handicap at the Gold Coast.
Banks, 30, is in a critical condition in the Royal Brisbane Hospital after suffering serious spinal injuries in a race fall at Toowoomba on Saturday night and is facing the rest of her life in a wheelchair.
Banks has ridden for Gollan at Toowoomba for the past 10 years and she scored the biggest win of her career when she partnered Spirit Of Boom to win the $100,000 Magic Millions Prelude at the Gold Coast in 2010.
Banks has ridden Spirit Of Boom on five occasions in total for two wins, two seconds and an unplaced effort behind Military Rose in the 2010 Magic Millions Classic.
“That one is for Kristy, she loves this horse and has done so much work with him right throughout his career,” Gollan said.
“He’s a four-year-old bull now and a bit of a thinker but he’s a very good horse when he’s on his game and he showed that today.
“That was a very timely win and hopefully it will lift Kristy’s spirits. We mightn’t know the full diagnosis for two days or two weeks but we’re all thinking of her and praying for her.”
Confidently ridden by Ric McMahon, Spirit Of Boom ($7) settled worse than midfield and exploded in the straight to score a dominant 1-3/4 length win in the 1300m Listed race.
Fellow Toowoomba galloper Dual Chamber ($9) flashed home from well back to snatch third over north Queensland visitor Geared Up ($31) with Spirit Of Boom’s stablemate Listen Son ($10) fighting on bravely for fourth after setting the pace.
Race favourite Adebisi ($5.50) shared the lead with Listen Son and briefly found the front in the straight when the field straightened but he tired near the line to finish on the heels of the placegetters.
Spirit Of Boom will now head toward the $200,000 Magic Millions Sprint (1000m) at the Gold Coast on January 14.
AAP TURF
