Lang and Boss the right Guineas combo

By Danny Matthews  

Tony Gollan is more than happy with Boomtown Boss and Emily Lang in the Queensland carnival opener.

Female jockeys are dominating the metropolitan jockeys' premiership in Brisbane so far this season and Gollan's praise of Lang can be further bolstered if she is able to steer Boomtown Boss to victory in the Queensland Guineas at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Lang has 52 winners in town to her name in 2024-25, many for her boss in Gollan, and she has a seven-win buffer on her nearest rival Angela Jones and the absent James Orman who continues his riding contract in Hong Kong.

With academia being the consistent line of work in her family background, Lang's own university qualification in data science and engineering makes for an unusual pathway to a race riding career but it is all coming together just as Gollan thinks it can in the Group 2 feature for three-year-olds over 1600 metres.

Lang admits that there is a challenge ahead to maintain better rides through the carnival with more established jockeys aiming for their share of the Queensland riches, but Gollan is maintaining the faith for this week at least.

Gollan pinpointed the son of Spirit Of Boom as his main Guineas hope sometime out and says that he has not seen anything in his preparation so far to suggest that his is not a winning chance.

"He is still doing things wrong in running and still presenting in the wrong part of the track, but I think if we can improve that little more again, and there's no doubt that he loves the big track at Eagle Farm, I don't think there's any risk that he won't run a mile," Gollan said.

Boomtown Boss' preparation could not have gone better with two wins in as many outings with the latest in the Listed Daybreak Lover Stakes over 1400 metres at Eagle Farm on April 19.

"I love the horse and rider combination with Emily," Gollan added.

"She knows the horse so well and I lose nothing by having her on. We go into the race well prepared."

At $8 across all-in markets, Boomtown Boss might be the value runner with interstate raiders beginning to descend on Queensland for the carnival.

The Nathan Doyle-trained Churchill's Choice is the $6 equal favourite Depth Of Character and Shangri La Spring and both have firmed from $11 in early betting.

"With a few southerners coming up, we get pushed down the chain a bit, but he is a very progressive horse and we are happy with him," Gollan concluded.