Tom Melbourne ready for spring carnival
Tom Melbourne has trialled well at the Gold Coast and will head south for spring carnival races.
Stakes performer and fan favourite Tom Melbourne will head a float-load of talented horses from Chris Waller’s Gold Coast stable bound for Sydney.
Several of the Waller-trained horses trialled at the Gold Coast on Monday with Tom Melbourne running second behind handy sprinter Snitz in a 1000m-heat.
Tom Melbourne raced three deep behind the pace but worked to the line strongly to be beaten a length.
Although he has become a public figure for his 14 seconds on the track, Tom Melbourne’s winter carnival form showed he is capable of winning a big race in the spring.
At his most recent run he was fifth in the Group One Stradbroke Handicap on June 8 which has encouraged Waller to look at stakes races for the gelding in the southern spring carnivals.
Waller’s Queensland manager Paul Shailer said there would be nine horses on the float leaving for Sydney on Tuesday.
“Chris is putting the finishing touches to their plans for the spring and we were happy with the way some of them trialled on Monday,” he said.
Le Juge, Mantastic, Duchess of Lennox and Lady Cuvee are among those heading south.
They were all unplaced in their Gold Coast trials but had easy runs.
“They did what we wanted and are getting ready for the spring,”Shailer said.
Trainer Matt Dunn was also happy with comeback galloper Care To Think who ran on to be third in his trial after being well back on the turn.