Kelly Doughty’s veteran galloper Flamboyer has the end-of-month Sunshine Coast Cup in sight and returns to racing at his home Gold Coast track on the weekend.
Flamboyer kicks off his summer bid at the Gold Coast this Saturday ahead of a second shot at the Sunshine Coast Cup at the end of the month. Photo: Daniel Costello.
The rising eight-year-old son of Clang has to date amassed over half-a-million in stakes over 54 career starts that have netted nine victories.
He hasn’t won since March, but will be out to return to winning form first-up at the Gold Coast in Saturday’s $60,000 AQUIS Farm Pre-Training and Agistment Open Handicap (1200m).
Last seen running third behind Charlie Boy at Ipswich on September 23 in the $60,000 City Of Ipswich Spring Sprinters Cup (1350m), Flamboyer comes off a subsequent winning 1000m Gold Coast trial.
He won the open heat on December 27 by a cruisy four and a quarter-lengths and currently pays $4.60 as the equal favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au along with the rails-drawn Zumbelina to salute first-up.
“He did it pretty easily and has done well since. It was a nice trial against a handy field,” Doughty said of the hit-out that saw Flamboyer easily account for stakes winner Sylpheed.
Doughty is also quietly confident his evergreen galloper is in as good as form as ever showing a zest for racing and any rain around on the weekend would further the proven wet-track performer’s chances.
“At this stage of his career a wet track helps but I would expect him to run well no matter what the track,” he told AAP.
“I can’t remember him ever looking so well and he seems to enjoy being back in the stables.”
Flamboyer’s best win was back in July of 2016 at the Sunshine Coast where he won the Listed $175,000 Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) by nearly two lengths.
In his next run at the Caloundra track he finished a close second to Sir Moments first-up back in January last year in the Listed $100,000 Sunshine Coast Cup (1400m).
In that winter’s Glasshouse Handicap Flamboyer finished a credible fourth, under two lengths beaten by the winner Monsieur Gustave when narrowly failing to defend his title.
The horse’s affinity with the Sunshine Coast Racecourse has Doughty looking ahead to a second shot at the Sunshine Coast Cup on January 27.