Most Important in line for big bonus

Vastly improved gelding Most Important has put himself in line for a $500,000 bonus with a blistering win in the Listed Lough Neagh Stakes.

(1350m) on Saturday.

Most Important ($2.60) burst away at the 200m mark and held off Too Good To Refuse ($2.90) by 1-1/4 lengths to win Saturday’s 1350m race at Doomben with Miss Cover Girl ($6) another six lengths third.

The gelding ran 1.17.16secs, 0.07s outside Natural Destiny’s course record.

Most Important won the first leg of the summer sprint crown, the George Moore Stakes, and his win in the Lough Neagh, means he needs to win the Buffering Stakes (1300m) on December 31 to take the $500,000 bonus.

Trainer Tony Gollan marvels at the toughness of Most Important who has been racing since June.

“I think gelding him has been the making of him but he has always had plenty of potential. He was sweating up before the race today which is a good sign,” Gollan said.

He said before the race he had been worried about giving weight to Too Good To Refuse.

“But he was up to the challenge. I have a lot of time for Too Good To Refuse. He and my horse are members of a top batch of Brisbane four-year-olds this season,” Gollan said.

Most Important is likely to run in the Buffering and then have a well earned rest with the Brisbane winter carnival in mind.

“They have been running fast time all day but it was still a very good effort. They have put six lengths on the third horse who is a Group One winner,” Gollan added.

Too Good To Refuse is also likely to go to the Buffering Stakes.

Damian Browne who rode Miss Cover Girl said she had tried hard but the first two were far too strong at this stage of her campaign.

Trainer Richie Stephenson’s plan to get some weight off the back of Emphasis paid off when he won the J F Construction Quality (2000m).

“He had to lump 58kg when he was third at Eagle Farm last start so I thought I would step him up into open class. He got into this race with only 54,” Stephenson said.

“He beat I’m Belucci at Doomben over 2000 metres as a three-year-old and I had no worries about the distance.”

“I’m Belucci has been placed twice at Group One level since.”