Tony Gollan two-pronged Stradbroke attack likely as connections weigh up Baller’s $45,000 late entry

Queensland’s premier trainer is on the verge of having connections shell out $45,000 to have Baller run in the state’s premier race next weekend.

Baller is set to line up in the Stradbroke Handicap on Saturday following his Moreton Cup win. Picture: Grant Peters — Trackside Photography.

Champion trainer Tony Gollan could have a surprise two-pronged attack in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap on Saturday with connections of Baller considering the $45,000 late entry fee following his Moreton Cup win.

Gollan had never intended to run the hulking six-year-old in the Stradbroke, but concedes he will likely receive a huge weight in the Group 3 Healy Stakes in three weeks time, severely limiting his options at the back end of the winter carnival.

With his win in the Moreton Cup coming with a golden ticket into the Stradbroke, Gollan says it could be time to strike while the iron is hot, joining stable mate Isotope in the race.

“It is probably what they are going to do,” Gollan said of paying up the $45,000.

“We were going to go to the (Group 3) Healy (June 25) but he is probably going to get 60 or 61 kgs now, I suppose.

“I need to talk to the handicappers on Monday and see what he will get, he is $15 in the (Stradbroke) market so it comes down to if they want to pay the money to be that chance in the race.

“I will try and work out what he would get in the Healy, we don’t need to make a decision until Tuesday morning.”

With more than $700,000 in prizemoney banked, Baller has been a good money spinner for connections and Gollan believes he is coming off a career-best run on Saturday.

Baller is coming off a career-best win, his trainer believes. Picture: Grant Peters — Trackside Photography.

It is well documented a lot of things need to go right for him to win a race, but the trainer believes the stars are aligning in terms of his health and fitness.

“The horse has been great to them, he is fully fit now. I think he would get 53.5 or 54 kgs in the Stradbroke,” he said.

“He handles that track so well, he has pulled up well off his run. It is not something I would normally do with him, it is the 1400m that worries me more than the quick back up, I would say.

“Sometimes you have to look outside the square a bit, he clearly likes the tracks at this time of the year.

“He got in last year and we didn’t do it, we were going to go to the Healy and he never made it there.

“He beat Kementari, who was spoken about as a Stradbroke horse on Saturday and he pushed Niccanova out of the way too, who is a tough old campaigner.

“I dare say we will be backing him up, there isn’t a great option for him in three weeks really.”

Gollan and connections have until 9am on Tuesday morning to stump up the $45,000 to secure his spot in the field.

Originally published as Tony Gollan two-pronged Stradbroke attack likely as connections weigh up Baller’s $45,000 late entry