Feature spring carnival sprint races beckon star Toowoomba sprinter Temple of Boom following his emphatic win in today’s $151,000 Group Three Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington.

The win was the second at Melbourne’s best known racecourse in two attempts for Temple of Boom, but the first for New Zealand’s champion apprentice James McDonald.

McDonald had Temple of Boom ($7.50-$9-$8) within striking distance for much of the race before the pair burst to the front with about 300 metres to run.

The result was never in doubt as he cruised home to beat Rekindled Interest ($8-$13) by three parts of a length.

Offenders ($6-$8.50-$7) was the best of the rest, a further half length back, while the favourite Perturbo ($2.50-$3.20) a similar margin away in fourth place.

Temple of Boom, now the winner of eight of his 22 runs, has earned over $680,000 – not bad considering he cost just $40,000 at the 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“He’s 100 per cent here (at Flemington) let’s hope it continues through the carnival,” trainer Tony Gollan said.

“When we brought him here last year for the 1100 it looked like he would get the 1200.”

“We told James to ride him to get the 1200 and he did it well.”

“We end to keep him here in Melbourne and look at these sort of races – but we’ll see how he’s going when the real big carnival is around and we might look at a race like the Salinger,” he added.

The win was yet another early milestone for New Zealand’s whiz kid James McDonald – a winner of over 200 races across the ditch last year.

“To win (my first race at Flemington) on a really nice horse in a Group Three is great,” McDonald said.

“I would have loved to have won the Apprentice Series but not to worry.”

“It’s my first time down the straight and to win down the straight is great.”

“It (the straight track) can be a little tricky and I was found wanting in the apprentice 1000 metre race, but we got all the stuff together in this one.”

McDonald pair tribute to Temple of Boom who he said was a pleasure to ride.

“He was a beautiful ride. He got in behind them and dropped the bit and he really cruised up to them.”

“He put them away really quickly,” McDonald added.

Temple of Boom is a proven big race performer. Last spring he came to Flemington and won the listed Century Stakes.

And in January this year he beat a crack field in the rich Magic Millions Sprint at the Gold Coast.

Temple of Boom’s dam Temple Spirit, a stakes performed and eight time winner by Special Dane, was produced two winners – both of them stakes winners.

As well as Temple of Boom she is the dam of the stakes winner and $366,000 earner Spirit of Boom.

Temple of Boom is a son of the Nunthorpe Stakes winner Piccolo – sire of Group One winners including La Cucaracha and Picaday.

Winner: Temple of Boom
Breeding: Piccolo-Temple Spirit (Special Dane)
Race: VRC Aurie’s Star Handicap G3 (1200m)
Sold for: $40,000
Sale: 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Eureka Thoroughbreds
Buyer: Tony Gollan
Earnings: $681,495
Owner(s): Mrs P Gollan, Eureka Stud Syndicate (Mgrs: C & S McAlpine), A Gamble, J Riddle, B Siemsen, A Dunemann & J Schloss
Trainer: Tony Gollan (Toowoomba)