Tony Gollan has earmarked a lucrative spring feature as the target for Freedom Rally

Freedom Rally, unlucky not to secure a Stradbroke berth, handed trainer Tony Gollan some consolation when annexing the Wayne Wilson at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Freedom Rally scores the Listed Wayne Wilson at Eagle Farm for trainer Tony Gollan and jockey James McDonald. Pictures: Grant Peters, Trackside Photography.

Tony Gollan has a $2m revenge mission in mind for Freedom Rally after he gave favourite punters a few nervous moments before scoring the Stradbroke Handicap consolation prize of the Listed Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm.

Gollan had been convinced in-form Freedom Rally could give Saturday’s Group 1 Stradbroke a mighty shake, but he missed the field after being left stranded as first emergency.

It was shades of last year when Gollan galloper Antino missed the Stradbroke field but won the Wayne Wilson (1600m) in dominant fashion on the same day.

Freedom Rally was sent out the $2 favourite in the Wayne Wilson, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing as he hit a flat spot and momentarily looked as if he would struggle to win, before picking up late under James McDonald and surging to the line.

Antino is Gollan’s stable star and now Freedom Rally could follow in similar footsteps.

Punters are off to a good start at Eagle Farm with Freedom Rally winning The Wayne Wilson for @tonygollan and @mcacajamez! @BrisRacingClubpic.twitter.com/GGkU7GVUJH

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 15, 2024

Gollan feels Freedom Rally could make a mighty impact on the spring carnival and says the $2m Five Diamonds (1800m) at Rosehill in November would be in his sweet spot.

Antino started the $2.20 favourite in last year’s Five Diamonds but never let down and finished a disappointing 10th.

“I think Freedom Rally has got a big spring ahead of him, this is a very good horse,” Gollan declared.

“The Five Diamonds would be a great race to target, it’s just how I try to get to that race and what I do with the horse.

“The Wayne Wilson does feel like a (Stradbroke) consolation prize, but it is a good race to win. I know on the corner he had a bit of a flat spot, but I think that was due to the slower tempo up the back.”

It had appeared at one stage as if connections of Freedom Rally would do a slot deal with Australian Bloodstock to run in Saturday’s Stradbroke, but a deal could not be done and Dream Hour took its place in the Stradbroke.

While punters got off to an ideal start in race one, it was a very different story in the second event, with favourite Pereille going down at the hands of Willinga Beast.

In what was a horror show watch for favourite backers, the four-year-old Godolphin gelding never got a clean look at them down the straight, before remarkably still finishing second to go down by a narrow margin.

Originally published as Tony Gollan has earmarked a lucrative spring feature as the target for Freedom Rally