Smart galloper Antino is building towards a return to the racetrack with an early season Group One target high on the agenda.
The Tony Gollan-trained gelding has had a short break after contesting three races across the Queensland Winter Carnival, with a strong win in the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm back in May the highlight in a campaign which culminated in a luckless 12th in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).
“He raced in the worst part of the track in the Stradbroke,” Gollan told Radio TAB.
“He should have come out from the corner and raced in the centre but his sectionals were still unbelievable for a horse that put himself in such a bad spot.
“He is coming along well. He feels really good off a short lay-off and he will tackle some of the big guns first up in the Memsie Stakes in Melbourne.”
The Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) will be run at Caulfield on August 31, with Antino to have a jumpout in a fortnight to prepare.
“I’d be disappointed if he doesn’t run well,” Gollan said.
“It looks like Pride Of Jenni and Mr Brightside are going to be in it but I expect him to race well and then he will step up to the mile at Flemington in the Makybe Diva (Group 1) a couple of weeks after that and then we can shape his preparation from there.
“He is highly rated for a lower level Group handicapper and he is probably just on the cusp of being a weight-for-age rating. He sits in that tricky rating point at the moment where set weights and penalties races suit him well.
“I just felt we’d kick him off in a couple of weight-for-age races, particularly with that winter residual fitness while the other horses are coming off autumn preparations. They are very good horses but I thought the winter preparation just helps you quite early in the spring.”
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