Tony Gollan unfazed by prospect of Antino taking on Via Sistina in Cox Plate

Tony Gollan is aware Antino is on a similar path towards the Cox Plate as Via Sistina, but he won’t be avoiding her as he focuses on giving his stable weapon the best possible preparation.

Antino produced a devastating Group 1 Doomben Cup triumph, setting up bumper spring carnival clashes with Via Sistina. Picture: Trackside Photography

Tony Gollan has the highest respect for Via Sistina but has virtually wiped her name from his brain as he uses a laser focus to plot a path towards the Cox Plate for Queensland freak Antino.

Nine-time Group 1-winning superstar Via Sistina ($2.30) and Antino ($6) are top of the pops in early Cox Plate betting and it’s an even more tantalising prospect considering they are potentially likely to clash several times beforehand.

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Champion Queensland trainer Gollan is relishing the challenge and said he won’t be ducking and diving from tangling with Via Sistina.

“I am aware that we will probably run into Via Sistina after she runs in the Winx Stakes and we will probably run into her the rest of the way through during the spring,” Gollan said.

“But I am more focused on Antino than I am worried about someone else’s horse.

“Chris (Waller) has got his own plan for his horse and I’ve got my own plan for mine, based on what I think will work for me.

“I can alter off that plan if I want but it wouldn’t be to be dodging Via Sistina, I would only be changing if I felt I needed to add an extra run before the Cox Plate.

“It’s just a process to have Antino at his best for the Cox Plate.

“And I just feel this is the perfect preparation for him, providing everything can go smoothly for us.”

ANTINO WINS THE GROUP 1 DOOMBEN CUP!!@tonygollan@blake_shinn@[e-mail]/p1TIMwtT6q

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) May 24, 2025

Via Sistina has been a racing phenomenon for some time, taking the breath of the racing world away when she spanked her Cox Plate rivals by eight lengths last spring.

Antino has been more of a work in progress but he showed last year’s Group 1 Toorak Handicap triumph was no fluke when he torched his Group 1 Doomben Cup opposition by four lengths during the recent Queensland winter carnival.

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Gollan has successfully turned Antino from a sprinter-miler into a middle distance weapon and the exciting gelding ran past Pride Of Jenni like she was standing still when scoring the Doomben Cup in record time.

Antino is back in work and Gollan said he wants his stable star to be fourth-up when racing in the Cox Plate.

He has tailored an elite spring preparation to suit.

Antino and Blake Shinn have been a perfect match. Picture: Trackside Photography

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“His first-up run will be Memsie Stakes on August 30 and from there we go two weeks to the Makybe Diva Stakes, they are the two races locked in,” Gollan said.

“Everything going well, my plan would be then three weeks into the Turnbull Stakes and then three weeks into Cox Plate.

“He would be fourth-up into the Cox Plate which I think is probably his optimum.

“Then after that we would hopefully go onto the Champions Stakes as his fifth run of the campaign.

“Antino has put on nice weight, off a short break, and he is doing a bit of three quarter pace work this week as we build things up for him.”

Antino and Blake Shinn have been a perfect match, with the star Victorian jockey getting the best out of the Queensland superstar by setting off around his rivals and sustaining a long sprint in his Group 1 wins.

Every indication is that the unique Moonee Valley circuit will suit those daring tactics.

Originally published as Tony Gollan unfazed by prospect of Antino taking on Via Sistina in Cox Plate