Formosa hoping his third win will be his first

ELLALONG horseman Michael Formosa is on track to annex his third $40,000 Multiquip Golden Guitar Final at Tamworth on Friday night.

Formosa is listed as the trainer of two past winners but is still chasing his first win as a reinsman.

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Xavier claimed victory for Formosa in the 2009 running of the Golden Guitar Final with Cameron Davies taking the reins followed in 2017 with good friend Mark Callaghan handling the reins behind Magoogan.

“It doesn’t worry me if I win as a trainer or a driver,” says Formosa.

“I will be over the moon either way if I win.

“It’s great to have won the Golden Guitar twice before with two in the race . . . but I always drove the wrong horse.

“The Golden Guitar has been around for a long time now and that is the race a lot of trainers set their horses for.

“It is more the prestige of winning the race than the money.

“Although $40,000 is nothing to be sneezed at either.”

This will be the 38th running of the Golden Guitar Final and Formosa has qualified Ultimate Force and Military Man after both won their respective heats last Sunday.

Formosa secured his first safe passage into the final with the win of Ultimate Force in the Multiquip Transport Golden Guitar Heat 1.

Beginning from the seven barrier, Formosa slotted the Alta Christiano gelding in on the back of the race leader, Rocknroll Max, driven by Jemma Coney.

Ultimate Force found a split in running as the field rounded the final turn to come away for a 5.6m win over Rocknroll Max with The Narrator (Blake Hughes) 6.5m away third in a mile rate of 1.57.9 for the 1980m journey.

“I was pretty happy with his run,” said Formosa.

“It was first-up from a spell.

“I was surprised how easily he did it and if he gets the right run in the final he might surprise a few people.

“He has had a couple of nice trials so hopefully he can get a bit of luck in the final and he will improve off that run.”

Military Man then wrapped up the Multiquip Hatchery Golden Guitar Heat 5 in a mile rate of 1.58.6.

“I thought I could have led after the two false starts but he got fired-up and then we were shuffled back in the run but in the end we got the result we wanted,” said Formosa.

With Military Man coming out of barrier one, Formosa bided his time three-back on the inside running line while Tygar (Brad Elder) led the field.

Military Man sustained a three-wide run down the home straight after gaining a split on the final turn to score a 1.2m win over Asterism (Dean Chapple) with Valencia (Cameron Hart) 7.4m away third in a mile rate of 1.58.6

“I was confident going into the meeting with both horses,” said Formosa, who has invited in-form reinsman Jack Callaghan to take a drive in the $40,000 Final on Friday night.

“Jack’s father Mark and I went to school together and we have been friends for that long,” said Formosa.

“Mark drove a Golden Guitar winner for me so I thought I would invite Jack to take a drive.

“I have known him since he was a kid.”

Jack Callaghan is fresh off driving Spirit of St Louis to a win in the $60,000 Group 2 Shepparton Cup on Saturday night and the $70,000 Bendigo Cup the Saturday prior at the Bendigo Cup for trainer Belinda McCarthy, so the 20-year-old is in peak form.

Formosa was awaiting the draw for his horses but predicted that Ultimate Force should receive the barrier seven while Military Man would draw between the one to four barrier and named his main danger in the race.

“I think Aqua Sancta from the Jarrod Alchin stables will be the horse to beat,” said Formosa.

“But if it is a truly-run race, it opens it up for anyone to win.

“I do think there will be a bit of pace on in the race.”

• JULIE MAUGHAN