Boomba trials like a good thing
Tim Fitzsimmons' youngster scores easy win on Tuesday morning
They packed him off as the $23 third pick in that 1,200m sprint in mid-April.
It was most probably because they remembered him from that win in the Singapore Golden Horseshoe last December, when he charged home to beat Infinite Wisdom and Relentless.
They thought he was special.
It wasn't to be. Boomba didn't go "boom". He went bust. No fire. No show.
Well, there were excuses. It was his first run in the new season. To compound matters, he was a tad slow to get into stride.
His jockey, Marc Lerner, could offer no explanation for Boomba's performance.
Well, all that's in the past. Boomba's got a chance to show us his true worth in his next start. As a preview, he caught the eye in his trial on Tuesday morning.
Ridden by Vlad Duric and jumping from the outermost gate in the five-horse trial, Boomba slipped into third spot on settling. He stayed there as newcomer Teardrops and Water Rocket engaged in their own duel in front.
Two hundred metres from home and Boomba made a move. Pulled to the outside, he took the bit and gave chase.
He was in the zone and with little effort, he accounted for the leaders. From then on, it was matter of how big a margin he would put on Teardrops and Water Rocket.
It turned out to be 13/4 lengths. His time for the 1,000m trip was a decent, 59.87sec.
Trained by Tim Fitzsimmons, who inherited him from Cliff Brown after he returned to Australia, Boomba is still on the easel and is a work in progress.
Aside from taking possession of the Golden Horseshoe trophy, Boomba's name was scribbled into my notebooks when he won on debut. That was last September.
Boomba has come on leaps and bounds since that last run almost a month ago.
On the strength of Tuesday's trial win, he will give his rivals plenty to think about when Fitzsimmons next sends him to the races.
Out of that same trial, Water Rocket impressed.
Ridden by Noh Senari, he traded blows with Teardrops all the way until 200m out.
Eased off when Boomba came into the picture, he stayed on well to take third spot.
From Ricardo Le Grange's yard, Water Rocket has been building up a nice nest egg. His earnings from four wins and numerous placings hover around the $200,000 mark.
Last time out, he tried to make all the running. But he was swamped late and was well and truly beaten by What You Like over 1,200m on the Poly.
Le Grange has entered him for Sunday's Class 4 Division 1 sprint over 1,200m.
It's his caper as three of his four wins have been over track and trip. And, he's in form.
The only problem is the fact that he's the second of two reserves.
Should he get a spot in the starting line-up, have something riding on him. Le Grange has got him as tight as a piano wire and he's good to go.
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