Tony Gollan’s great hope Transatlantic gets run in Group 1 Stradbroke with Kimochi ruled out with career-ending tendon injury

Two years of Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap heartache have eased for Tony Gollan, with his great hope Transatlantic getting a start as second emergency after leading contender Kimochi suffered a probable career-ending tear in her tendon.

Two years of Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap heartache have eased for Tony Gollan, with his great hope Transatlantic getting a start as second emergency after leading contender Kimochi suffered a probable career-ending tear in her tendon.

Gary Portelli told Racenet that Yulong-owned Group 1-winning mare Kimochi was likely to be retired after suffering the injury when she apparently shied at something at trackwork on Friday morning.

It means Gollan galloper Transatlantic, who looked set to miss the Stradbroke field despite winning last Saturday’s Listed Spear Chief Handicap at Eagle Farm, gets an unexpected start.

Chris Waller mare Firestorm was scratched from the Stradbroke earlier this week.

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Champion Queensland trainer Gollan had narrowly missed the Stradbroke field in the past two years with Antino (2023) and Freedom Rally (2024) and it looked like he was going to suffer the same fate with Transatlantic until Friday morning’s vet news.

“I never want to see another horse be taken out of the race so we get in, but that’s the nature of the beast,” Gollan said.

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“Transatlantic presents well, my horse, and the plan has always been to run him in the Stradbroke if we could get into the field.

“Obviously it’s been a bit of a mess around to get in there, but we are there now.

“We have a nice light weight and a track he really enjoys racing on, maybe everything is falling into place for him.”

Transatlantic shows them how it's done in the Listed Spear Chief! 💪@tonygollan@[e-mail]/i9aP13Z728

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025

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Portelli said of Kimochi: “She went for a canter this morning, just two laps around the track.

“Apparently she shied at something, an innocuous sort of incident.

“The stewards have then done the Group 1 trot-ups and run their fingers down her tendon.

“We got the local vet to make a look at her and it turns out she has got a very fresh tear in her tendon.

“He said it had to have happened today.

“I’d imagine this will mean retirement, she is likely to be retired.

“The vet said he couldn’t see her returning to race.”

Kimochi does enough late to hit the front for her maiden Group One win in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes! 🙌@[e-mail]/B7ZMus0UTP

— Racing.com (@Racing) November 16, 2024

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Before Kimochi was scratched, Transatlantic had been a $17 chance in the Stradbroke betting market.

Gollan has long been convinced Transatlantic is a very good horse and now he gets the chance to prove it in the Stradbroke with Angela Jones to ride.

Gollan has won eight Group 1s but the Stradbroke, Queensland’s greatest race, is the nut he has never been able to crack.

He now thinks he can give the race a serious shake, even despite Transatlantic drawing out a wide barrier.

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“He is not there to make up the numbers,” Gollan said.

“He is definitely a chance in the race, no doubt. He is there to run well.

“The barrier is not ideal but he can roll forward and make his own luck, to a degree.

“There is a long run down the back straight and hopefully we can slot into a nice enough position, somewhere, and he can give the race a good shake.”

The Stradbroke shake-up also gives Melbourne Cup-winning rider Robbie Dolan the opportunity to partner the Toby Edmonds-trained three-year-old filly Spicy Martini in Queensland’s biggest race.

Jones was slated to ride Spicy Martini but was always committed to Transatlantic if the second emergency gained a start.