It was an infinite finish to Caulfield Guineas Day in Melbourne on Saturday with the Toorak Handicap 2024 win going to the Tony Gollan-trained Antino who produced a stellar run to come back proper spherical his rivals and salute by six and a half-lengths.
Antino gained the 2024 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield by 6.5 lengths. Photograph: Final Racing Photographs.
It was a deserving elite degree success for the Queensland who had been knocking on the door for a Group 1 win.
His time within the highlight got here within the final at Caulfield with the six-year-old son of Redwood bettering on his second to Attrition final yr to steal the present because of a daring journey by Blake Shinn on this yr’s Group 1 $1 million Toorak Handicap (1600m).
“He was sensible, he was superior, he’ s a extremely good horse, he’s been destined to win a Group 1 and it’s simply been a matter of when and to win it like that, we got here right here, it was so shut final yr, I believed he was only a run quick,” Gollan mentioned.
“This yr I knew I had him, nearly as good as we’ve ever had him. It was only a matter of luck on the day, and he took that into his personal arms and acquired the job carried out.
“It means so much. Very a lot combined feelings. We have been again final early. Thought we have been in a whole lot of bother however what a masterful journey by Blake.
“The very first thing we mentioned after Moonee Valley the opposite night time after we have been racing in opposition to Delight of Jenni (within the Feehan)
“He can maintain and construct stress in a race. Irrespective of the place we landed at the moment, we simply wished to journey after which have the ability to use that lengthy sustained run and that’s what he did.
“We took off a bit early on him, however he can maintain a very good gallop for a very good whereas, what a dominant show!”
The galloper got here off a trio of excellent lead-up runs in opposition to the season’s finest together with a Group 1 Makybe Diva third to Mr Brightside and third to Delight Of Jenni at The Valley final outing within the Group 2 Feehan Stakes.
He offered rock-hard match fourth-up and able to hearth within the Toorak, which he was capable of do because of the brave transfer by Shinn on the 500m that noticed the ring hit the whip and loop the sector to come back from final to take up entrance working approaching the house flip.
It proved a profitable transfer with Antino responding superbly extending his lead down the straight powering house to salute by 6.5 lengths on the road over the runner-up Craig.
“Simply actually delighted to get the win on Antino at the moment,” Shinn advised Racing.com.
“He’s been knocking on the door to get that Group 1 and we have been hoping that might come at the moment.
“I rode him conservatively and introduced him into the race after I thought the race was slackening a bit.
“God he was robust to the road!”
In third finishing this yr’s Toorak Handicap trifecta was the Grant & Alana Williams-trained Star Flip mare from WA Alsephina who continued her good spring in Melbourne off a lead-up Group 2 Shares Stakes victory at Moonee Valley.
Gollan will now think about as as to whether Antino will keep on with his unique next-up goal of the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) after which Hong Kong or be examined over additional this prep.
“Yeah, look this may change issues now. I used to be possibly going to go to the Rupert Clarke, after which to Hong Kong, however I’ll simply play it by ear,” he mentioned.
“We’ll get house and let the mud settle subsequent week, and you understand the horse is within the peak of his powers now.
“It’s only a matter of holding him in that situation.”
2024 Toorak Handicap Outcomes
| End | No. | Horse | Coach | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Beginning Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | ANTINO (NZ) | Tony Gollan | Blake Shinn | 8 | 55.5kg | $4.80 | |||
| 2 | 9 | CRAIG (GB) | Trent Busuttin & Natalie Younger | Craig Williams | 6.5L | 12 | 53.5kg | $10 | ||
| 3 | 7 | ALSEPHINA | Grant & Alana Williams | Jye McNeil | 6.85L | 10 | 53.5kg | $19 | ||
| 4 | 1 | DESERT LIGHTNING (NZ) | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | Luke Nolen | 8.6L | 11 | 57kg | $8.50 | ||
| 5 | 12 | OSIPENKO (NZ) | Chris Waller | Damian Lane | 9L | 3 | 53.5kg | $9.50 | ||
| 6 | 6 | ORCHESTRAL (NZ) | Roger James & Robert Wellwood | Daniel Stackhouse | 9.75L | 6 | 54kg | $17 | ||
| 7 | 4 | ANOTHER WIL | Ciaron Maher | Michael Dee | 9.9L | 1 | 55kg | $2.20F | ||
| 8 | 10 | JIMMY THE BEAR | Patrick & Michelle Payne | Billy Egan | 10.65L | 7 | 53.5kg | $51 | ||
| 9 | 5 | LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (FR) | Ciaron Maher | John Allen | 10.75L | 5 | 54.5kg | $71 | ||
| 10 | 13 | WISHLOR LASS | Symon Wilde | Declan Bates | 11.5L | 9 | 53.5kg | $26 | ||
| 11 | 11 | MAGNASPIN | Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin | Daniel Moor | 11.56L | 2 | 53.5kg | $101 | ||
| 12 | 8 | BANK MAUR | Richard Laming | Patrick Moloney | 13.81L | 4 | 53.5kg | $61 | ||
Desk Credit score: Racing Australia.
IMAGINE WHAT YOU COULD BE BUYING INSTEAD.
At no cost and confidential help name 1800 858 858 or go to gamblinghelponline.org.au.