Antino trainer Tony Gollan wary of first-up bomb Mr Brightside in Memsie Stakes: ‘It’s easy to get carried away with a trial’

Antino set tongues wagging with a flashing light jump out behind Pride Of Jenni last week, but Tony Gollan has identified another runner in the race on Saturday that he is wary of as he looks to land his first Group 1 in three years.

Antino will attempt to win Tony Gollan’s first Group 1 in three years at Caulfield on Saturday. Picture: Steve Pohlner

While attention shifts to Pride Of Jenni and her looming spring showdown with Winx Stakes winner Via Sistina, Antino’s trainer Tony Gollan instead has his focus on Mr Brightside in Saturday’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Gollan is looking to strike early in the carnival to take advantage of Antino’s residual winter fitness and says he believes Pride Of Jenni will improve into her bumper preparation.

He admitted it was Mr Brightside that could stand in his way on Saturday as he looked for a spring guide on where his enigmatic galloper Antino was at.

“Mr Brightside is the one first-up, isn’t he? He is a gun fresh-up,” Gollan said.

“She (Pride Of Jenni) will keep getting better as she gets out over further, that is obvious with her.

“I was pretty keen to hit these sort of races up early in the carnival while we have that fitness.”

Happy Monday! 😃

3x G1 winner, Pride Of Jenni, wins her jump out narrowly from [e-mail]/4Cef5Z2SvI

— Racing.com (@Racing) August 18, 2024

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After carrying the weight of expectation throughout the winter carnival as the Stradbroke Handicap favourite, Gollan was always keen to get Antino out of Queensland and said he was thriving in Victoria this time around.

Antino set tongues wagging with a flashing light jump out behind Pride Of Jenni last week at Cranbourne under Jamie Kah, who will ride again on Saturday, however Gollan said he had been around long enough to know not to get excited with trials.

“It is easy to get carried away off a trial, we know the size of the task ahead of us, not just on Saturday, but also at this stage the (Group 1) Makybe Diva (Stakes on September 14) if everything goes right,” he said.

“I knew the horse is going really well and he had that winter residual fitness, so those horses should jump out really well.

“It was good to see the horse and jockey combination click as quickly as it did.

Antino was a long-time Stradbroke favourite through the winter. Picture: Grant Peters / Trackside Photography

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“To have him click with Jamie right away is just such a bonus; sometimes it really happens with these horses and it appeared to with them.

“We will know where we sit in that realm of horses after Saturday.

“We can go back to a handicap route, or do we really get serious in that top grade and step him out over further?”

Antino marks one of a four-pronged attack at Caulfield on Saturday for Gollan, with Nettuno, Wollombi and Comrade Rosa all set to line up on the day.

Nettuno will attack the Group 3 The Heath (1100m), while mares Wollombi and Comrade Rosa head to the Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m).

Originally published as Antino trainer Tony Gollan wary of first-up bomb Mr Brightside in Memsie Stakes: ‘It’s easy to get carried away with a trial’