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"Peaking": Gollan confident Antino will be a âreal forceâ in Turnbull
Connor Scanlon ⹠ October 1st, 2025 1:31 pm
Antino is expected to run a big race in this weekend's Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) says trainer Tony Gollan.
The seven-year-old gelding has competed in two races so far this season, where he finished fifth in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) and fourth in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m).
Eight-time Group 1-winning trainer Gollan revealed that the son of Redwood will indeed be tackling the Turnbull at Flemington.
And guess what?
Gollan is extremely confident that Antino will run a huge race in the $750,000 Group 1.
âHeâs right where he needs to be now,â Gollan said on SENTrack & RSNâs Giddy Up.
âHeâs had his two runs back at 1400m and 1600m. He hasnât won either but theyâve both been really good runs.
âHe goes to the 2000m now, everything about him looks as though heâs peaking right up in his preparation now.
âHeâs got the two runs out of the road that he needed. Heâs going to be a real force on Saturday.
âItâs obviously a very good Turnbull, but heâs a very good horse.
âIf we are realistic that he can be a Cox Plate horse, then heâs got to run well on Saturday and Iâm sure he will.â
Furthermore, based off his first two runs, Gollan believes the Group 1 winner will run as good he did when he took out the Group 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) by 3.95 lengths.
âFrom all the data seeing with him, heâs tracking to run every bit as good as he did Doomben Cup day,â Gollan revealed.
âHeâs nice and fit now and ready to go, so you can see Antino race like you saw him at Doomben Cup day on Saturday and going forward.â
Despite the Might and Power Stakes (2000m) being run next Saturday for more money ($1,000,000), Gollan admitted that he couldnât afford to wait another week as it has already been three weeks since Antinoâs last run in the Makybe Diva.
âI was happy with this, I think itâs been a good transgression,â Gollan said.
âWeâve been three weeks into this, I didnât want to wait another week with him.
âJust the timeline of the prep suits me better.
âYeah sure, there was another option, but when we kicked off in the Memsie I thought this was the better preparation.
âI really wanna have him spot on for these next three runs â the Turnbull Stakes, the Cox Plate (2040m) and the Champions Stakes (2000m).
âIâm really happy with him and I donât think Iâve seen anything in his first two runs to suggest I canât mix it with the better horses in this race Saturday.â
