Gollan hopes for Magic on Barbie
A SOCIAL media post was the catalyst for Tony Gollan booking Hong Kong’s Magic Man Joao Moreira for the very first time, with the new pairing bidding to win today’s Percy Sykes Stakes with Outback Barbie.
Moreira has been a frequent visitor to Australia in the past five years and was a feature race winner at Eagle Farm in June 2016, but had not crossed paths with Gollan.
“I just saw on social media he was here for a ride on the day in the Queen Elizabeth,” Gollan said.
“That was a while ago now but I just thought we should try and get him for our girl. I knew Blake ( Shinn) couldn’t make the weight and at 54kg there’s not huge options, so I thought if he’s here, he’s world class and he can ride the weight, let’s try and get him and we got him straight away.”
Gollan hasn’t yet spoken to Moreira and won’t overload him with instructions, with his main concern finding spaces from barrier one in the straight.
“He’s a professional, he will do his homework and let’s face it, I don’t think it’s a difficult ride off one alley now,” Gollan said.
“If he can find the split at the right time – and he’s very good at doing that having watched him ride all over the world – I can nearly guarantee he’s got enough horse there to take the run. She’s going terrific.”
Outback Barbie’s Golden Slipper hopes ended when she was stuck wide in the Reisling Stakes and came fifth. Since then, she’s trialled well at Randwick in the quickest of four 1050m heats on the morning.
“She looks better now than when she trialled … everything about her has improved,” Gollan said.
Outback Barbie is one of two Queensland- trained Magic Millions placed runners shooting for big bucks today at Randwick.
Last year’s MM winner Houtzen will run the $ 600,000 Group 2 Arrowfield Sprint today.