Gollan’s plan has lots of Pizzazz
But champ hard to beat
Tony Gollan knows he has a monumental task ahead of him in the $750,000 King Of The Mountain at Toowoomba on Monday in toppling Rothfire, but is banking on local knowledge to bring the Group 1 winner undone.
In a race restricted to Queensland-bred and trained horses, Rothfire is a hot $1.65 favourite where he will give only 2kg to his nearest rival All That Pizzazz, despite having a 13-point rating edge on him.
In what has been a longterm plan, Gollan is hoping local knowledge can play a role for All That Pizzazz, after he sent him to Toowoomba in September to win his first Weetwood Handicap, while Rothfire is yet to step foot on the track.
“I know how horses for courses Toowoomba can be,” the trainer said, adding that All That Pizzazz knocked off last year’s King Of The Mountain winner Yellow Brick in the Weetwood.
“You look at Yellow Brick, who is a very talented horse, but more importantly a local horse.
“Where his wasn’t really horse.
“But we went there because he’s not a Magic Millions horse and this is the biggest carrot in the summer for a horse like him.
“I have been planning it since the spring to be honest, the idea was to go to the Weetwood to put him on trial for this race. I set my sights on this and rating was, he a Weetwood he couldn’t go up there in better form.”
In what shapes as potentially the last running of the race in its current setting due to the severe lack of depth, All That Pizzazz is the only other horse in single-figure odds at $3.50 with TAB.
Even with Rothfire drawing the widest barrier, Gollan says his rivals have their work cut out.
“Under the scale of the race, it is going to be extremely hard to beat him,” he said.
“The barrier might aid me a bit, I’m not too sure, but under set weights and penalties there is no doubt he has a big job ahead of him.
“I get a few kilos off the toppy but under a ratings scale I’d get a lot more, it is what it is and that’s the race and I’m comfortable with that.
“I make no bones that this favourite is going to be awfully hard to beat, but if there’s any horse outside of it I’d want, it’s mine.
“He’s drawn well and we have a fantastic jockey in Jimmy Orman on board, so we will get every chance.”
Group 1 jockey Luke Currie wants to start 2024 the same way 2023 ended – in the winner’s stall.
Currie, who moved back to Melbourne after two injuryinterrupted years in Hong Kong, notched a first city winner with victory on Intrepid Eagle last Saturday at The Valley.
Currie wrapped the calendar year with four wins from his last eight rides and finished outside the top three just once. “That was the idea of coming back now and riding straight away,” Currie said.
“To feel our way and try and get a little momentum and rebuild some relationships before it really heats up in autumn.”
Currie resumed in Melbourne on December 20 and rode through the festive fortnight, with wins for Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, Tony and Calvin McEvoy, David Brideoake and Matt Jenkins and Anthony and Sam Freedman.
“It’s hard (rebuilding relationships) after having three weeks off, I’ve been away two years,” Currie said.
“I’ve been lucky enough to come back and win the AllStar Mile early in the year, so people could still remember me, and then I had a few rides during the Hong Kong break here this year.
“There’s great jockeys here, it doesn’t matter how long you have off, if you have any, you got to start again.”
Currie has three rides remaining at Flemington on New Year’s Day including Shambo (Race 1), Carrazana (R2) and Star Vega (R5) after He’s Beset (R8) was scratched.