The infamous south-east Queensland holiday traffic has prompted Desleigh Forster to keep promising youngster Boom Spender at home with the desired result.
The trainer accepted with Boom Spender at Doomben on Thursday and in the Sunshine Coast Classic on Saturday.
She felt the easier trip across the road from Eagle Farm to Doomben was the safest option instead of risking the traditional holiday traffic jams on the Bruce Highway linking Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.
“It has been very hot and while I think he would have been up to Saturday’s race this was better for his first start,” Forster said.
“It is five minutes from home to Doomben and it can be two hours to Caloundra.”
Boom Spender ($4.20) bounced to the lead and beat Tarminto ($15) by a head in the QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap (1200m).
“He won a jump-out leading and he led again today. But I think he will be better when he can settle in his races,” Forster said.
Boom Spender is likely to chase the $500,000 QTIS Jewel at the Gold Coast in March.
Winning jockey Mark Du Plessis said the win was full of merit because Boom Sweeper was not totally at home on the rain-affected track which was downgraded to a Soft 6 after an earlier downpour.
Boom Spender is by leading sire Spirit of Boom and is a half brother to handy restricted-class filly Maidenover.
Jockey Ryan Maloney continued his outstanding winning strike rate of nearly 40 per cent with trainer David Vandyke when Cotton Fields ($2.90) scored on debut at the Doomben meeting
Cotton Fields trialled without starting in Victoria when trained by Shane Nichols and was sent to Vandyke at Caloundra late last year.
Vandyke, who is in New Zealand at the Karaka Sales, gave Cotton Fields a trial on Christmas Eve and her eye-catching performance led to her being heavily backed on Thursday.
“She is a nice filly who is on the way up,” Maloney said.
Maloney will combine with Vandyke and top three-year-old Alligator Blood during the Melbourne autumn.
The trainer confirmed this week the gelding would continue his campaign after a successful summer culminating in victory in the $2 million Magic Millions Guineas.