Antino ready for 2025 Hollindale Stakes test
Antino might not deliver a Toorak Handicap-style demolition this Saturday, but Tony Gollan is quietly optimistic the gelding will peak in time for the Doomben Cup.
The star Redwood galloper resumes in Queensland in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast after resuming in Sydney’s All Aged Stakes where luck deserted him.
“You won’t see that sort of performance second-up in a Hollindale, but you could see something like that in a Doomben Cup, who knows?” Gollan said, referencing Antino’s dominant win in the Toorak Handicap last spring.
While his 1800m credentials are still lightly tested — his previous try in the Five Diamonds ended in disappointment — Gollan is confident that Antino’s fitness is right where it needs to be.
“It’s always been the plan to go to the Hollindale second-up,” Gollan said.
“He was a pass mark in the All Aged Stakes. We just didn’t get the breaks from the inside draw.”
“He’s much fitter now and has improved since coming back to Brisbane. He’s ready to show something closer to his best.”
Antino will be given every chance on Saturday with a more suitable setup and will aim to build momentum toward the Group 1 Doomben Cup later this month.
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