Flamboyer set to defy dry track at Ipswich

Trainer Kelly Doughty hopes a lack of early pace can help Flamboyer overcome a dry track and give her husband Gary Doughty another boost at Ipswich.

Flamboyer, who was bred and is part-owned by Gary Doughty, has been a great performer winning in stakes company and scoring nine wins for $563,000 prize money.

But he has been hamstrung by Queensland’s recent dry weather and hasn’t won this campaign in three starts.

Flamboyer runs in the City Of Ipswich Spring Sprinters Cup at Ipswich and Kelly Doughty is expecting a good run.

“There is no doubt he is better on soft going these days. But his runs this campaign against similar company to this have been OK,” Doughty said.

“He likes a soft track where he can lead and dictate the pace. There doesn’t appear to be too many leaders apart from him on Saturday.

“But for all that I will probably turn him out after Saturday because it doesn’t look like ever raining properly.”

Doughty said Flamboyer liked Ipswich and was beaten only half a length into fourth place in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at the track in July.

“If he can repeat that run he will be very hard to beat,” she said.

Gary Doughty spent more than a week in hospital after an attack of diverticulitis and was allowed to go home last Thursday.

“But we were back at the hospital for five hours last Saturday when things didn’t go exactly right. It looks as though he will be OK to stay home now but just has to take it easy,” Kelly Doughty said.

She said Gary had been boosted by the win of Flamboyer’s half-brother Cabreirian at Doomben last week.

“It gave him a kick and Flamboyer is one of his favourite all time horses. If he can win it would be great for us all,” she said.

“Gary rode them both in track work but that looks like being a thing of the past.”