Gollan finally gets Vega fit for Sydney
TONY Gollan thinks his Group 1 winner Vega One is “back” after an 18month slog to get him fit again, following a flesheating bug which almost took his life.
The Kingsford-Smith Cup winner will head to Sydney on Saturday to line up against some of Australia’s best in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m), where Gollan will look to get a guide as to what his next step is for the veteran sprinter.
After an abysmal twostart winter campaign, Gollan elected to hit reset with Vega One and bring him back for the summer, where he impressed running midfield in the Listed Falvelon (1200m) with 61kg, before flashing home in the Magic Millions Cup (1425m) with 60.5 kgs.
Vega One bounced back from a suspensory injury suffered in the 2020 Stradbroke Handicap to win the 2021 Kingsford-Smith Cup, but Gollan revealed it wasn’t as simple getting him back from a serious injury suffered in the 2021 edition of the Stradbroke.
“The first time he was out, he was rehabbing when he did the suspensory, but this time he was just resting because it was a cut, so he got fat – really fat,” Gollan said.
“The first time he was always working, it was easier to get him back after a year, this time he was just sitting there, so I couldn’t get him fit with all the rain in the first half of the year.”
Gollan admits he is going into the deep end on Saturday, with champion Brisbane jockey Ryan Maloney to ride, after committing to a number of horses for Aquis on the day.
“I think he is (back),” Gollan said.
“They had to expose him too early at the Gold Coast with 60.5kg.
“It is a hard race but it is where he’s at, you can’t hide them when they’re 110-raters.
“The key is just to get him racing again to see where he is at, I thought he was very good first up, good second up and then hopefully he runs well in the Apollo.
“I will then either send him to the mile or freshen him back here for the races in the winter.
“At the end of the day, he needs some miles in the legs, he is an old gelding with so long off the scene.”