Wet NSW tracks please Gollan
TONY Gollan is one trainer that won’t mind if the Sydney tracks stay wet, as he weighs up an interstate campaign for stakes winner The Actuary.
Gollan celebrated his seventh consecutive Queensland metropolitan premiership last week, reflecting on a season that saw him set new benchmarks for city and state wins.
But racing never stops and he’s now looking ahead to potential big race spoils.
He told Radio TAB’s Past The Post that The Actuary and Outback Barbie were likely to be the only two from the stable that travel interstate at this stage, with other stars waiting for feature races at home.
The Actuary, a daughter of Sebring, is a filly he thinks can take another step forward, particularly if the tracks are soft.
“If it could be a bit of a wet spring, we could look at the fillies’ series in Sydney getting out to the mile (Flight Stakes),” he said. “I thought she was impressive (in the Phoenix).
“I know it wasn’t a strong stakes race she won, but gee she’s a good wet tracker.”
Outback Barbie is a horse he is reluctantly taking away, almost out of necessity.
“I would love to race Outback Barbie in Brisbane, she profiles well for our carnival, but she just hates Eagle Farm,” he said. “She doesn’t like the surface, so I’ve got to take her away to Sydney for some restricted mares races.”
Zoustyle is back in work after bleeding at his most recent run in Sydney in March and might be given his chance to win one of the few local feature races to elude the stable.
“The revamped spring in the Queensland racing calendar has been a great initiative and we might even poke him towards the Weetwood (in September), a race that’s eluded me in my home town,” Gollan said.
Gollan said his 35-strong staff were an ongoing key factor in his stable’s success .
“These people don’t get out of bed in the middle of the night (thinking) they’re going to retire on Hamilton Hill. They are there because they love the animal,” he said.