Tony Gollan chasing Diamonds after Antino’s interstate breakthrough: ‘Can’t win every race on the road’

Champion trainer Tony Gollan was down on his luck when travelling horses interstate, but a breakthrough win with Antino might have broken the dam wall when it comes to his runners south of the border.

Freedom Rally takes on the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude on Saturday. Picture: Grant Peters—Trackside Photography.

It was always a matter of when, not if, Tony Gollan would break through south of the border and the champion trainer says the time is right to strike while the iron is hot.

Gollan is aiming up at the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m) at Randwick on Saturday with Freedom Rally and says it will be no warm-up run for the $2m main event in a fortnight’s time.

While Antino’s Group 1 Toorak Handicap win earlier this month was a drought breaker for Gollan, he says it was only a matter of time before he had success away from Queensland.

“It’s not like I have never won down there, Antino won last spring in Victoria, so they had been racing well all carnival, just not with a lot of luck,” Gollan said.

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“It was always going to just be a matter of when we were going to get some luck and Blake (Shinn) took luck out of the equation last start.

“This horse’s first race down in Sydney (Group 2 Tramway) this prep was very good in what has turned out to be a very good form race, so horse’s when they’re travelling need to find their way.

“You’re not going to win every race you’re in when you’re away, particularly when you only have limited runners, but I feel these guys are running well.”

Tony Gollan hasn’t won in Sydney for more than three years. Picture: Vince Caligiuri — Getty Images.

Antino was a beaten favourite in the Five Diamonds 12 months ago, however his trainer says there aren’t many similarities with Freedom Rally this year as he is in the midst of a very different campaign.

“Antino was at the end of his prep in the Five Diamonds last year and had a few little things going on, I’m not too worried about that this time, I am just focused on Freedom Rally,” he said.

“Next week is a million dollar race in itself, so we are very happy to be a part of that alone.”

With a handful of Sydney jockeys in Melbourne for the Cox Plate, Gollan has secured the services of Tommy Berry on Saturday, after riding him in a trial last week.

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“I thought his trial was good, it was a bit similar to the winner of the trial (Robusto), they are both mid prep so they should trial well,” he said.

“Tommy rode him in the trial with the view of riding him in the Five Diamonds Prelude and also giving him the tick of a horse that we thought can go on with his prep.

“He spent a week at Bong Bong farm after his last run, which was on a seven-day back up, and we are really happy with how he came back to Sydney after that.

“He looks like a horse that wants a trip, so to back off him, four weeks between runs with a trial in between and a change of scenery to freshen him up.

“I think it is ideal for the 1500m, then looking at his pedigree and the way he is going, I think he is crying out for the nine furlongs.”

Originally published as Tony Gollan chasing Diamonds after Antino’s interstate breakthrough: ‘Can’t win every race on the road’