Tony Gollan chasing dream HK debut with Antino

Brisbane’s dominant trainer for the past decade, Tony Gollan will realise a long-held ambition when he saddles up in-form gelding Antino in the Hong Kong Mile at the International meeting at Sha Tin.

A brilliant winner of the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield two starts ago, Antino beat all but proven weight-for-age star Mr Brightside in the Cantala Stakes at Flemington last start to cement his opportunity to take on the likes of 2023 Hong Kong Mile runner-up Voyage Bubble and Japan’s Soul Rush.

The six-year-old will be Gollan’s first runner at the annual fixture and the trainer said he had been amazed at the level of global attention the meeting commanded.

“I always dreamed that maybe, one day, I’d have this race up here in Hong Kong and be a part of this week,” Gollan said.

“This is something else over here, having a runner here on the world stage and that’s probably what’s hitting me most this week is just how big a meeting this is worldwide.

“I’m just excited to show Antino to the world on Sunday.”

Antino has drawn barrier four in the 14-strong field and while he is not always the cleanest horse out of the gates, Gollan says the start hasn’t been a focus.

Instead, they are putting their faith in Blake Shinn’s intimate knowledge of Antino and the gelding’s versatility to overcome any slow beginning.

“If he steps well, he can be there, if he doesn’t, he can just get back a bit further,” Gollan said.

“The most important thing is, he travels well in running. Blake knows him awfully well.”

Emerging local star Ka Ying Rising headlines the Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) where he will be chasing his first Group 1 win.

David Hayes has been open in declaring he hasn’t had a horse as good at the same stage of its career and is excited to see how Ka Ying Rising handles Sunday’s test from a wide draw.

“He’s got a lot to do, hasn’t he? But he’s got the potential,” Hayes said.

“I haven’t handled one as good at the ten-start mark. Let’s hope I’m saying that at the thirty-start mark.”

Ka Ying Rising’s regular rider Zac Purton is equally upbeat and says the horse only needs to replicate his prior performances to continue his winning sequence.

“The fact that he hasn’t raced at this level before always poses a question but his performances have been Group One quality performances,” Purton said.

“It’s just a matter of him doing that on the big day when it matters.”