Gollan eyes Diamonds heist to lay platform for more Sydney riches

Tony Gollan hopes victory in the $2 million Five Diamonds on Saturday will be just a taste of what his all-conquering Queensland stable can achieve in Sydney this season.

Transatlantic, a $2.70 (TAB) favourite in the listed Five Diamonds (1800m) after an easy win in the $1 million prelude (1500m), is a rare runner in Sydney for Gollan, who has had only eight city winners from a little more than 100 starters in NSW in a career that has yielded 12 consecutive Queensland metropolitan trainers titles.

Transatlantic cruises to victory in the Five Diamonds Prelude under Tommy Berry at Randwick on October 25.Credit: Getty Images

Gollan hopes Transatlantic can improve that record in the feature for five-year-olds at Rosehill before targeting more rich wins in Sydney in the autumn.

“We’re a very strong stable at home, and we try to travel the right horses when we can, and we always identified this horse to be the right horse for this series,” Gollan said.

“He showed in the prelude that he is, and hopefully he ticks that box for me on Saturday.

“If he does, you’ll see him back there in the autumn. I’ve got a couple of different ideas for him in the autumn, but I definitely think he’s an autumn horse.

Transatlantic wins the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield during an impressive campaign.Credit: Getty Images

“Whether we look at the Doncaster or something different, we’ll just get through this preparation first. But I’m certainly keen to take him away again in the autumn, and bring Antino there as well.

“I’ll have a presence in Sydney next autumn for sure.”

Transatlantic will join Antino, which finished last in the Cox Plate last start, in the paddock after Saturday’s run. Gollan was still unsure why Antino failed in the $6 million weight-for-age championship, but he was hoping to have him back on track for the $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick in April.

“He’s pretty good,” Gollan said. “At this point, he’ll just have a little rest and then prepare for the autumn, which will be a Sydney campaign at this stage. The Queen Elizabeth is a race you’d love to get to – 2000 metres, $5 million, so we’ll prep towards that.”

Transatlantic won the group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield before dominating the Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m), but he faces tougher opposition, a first trip beyond 1650m and the outside gate in 14 on Saturday.

The only question mark for Gollan was the extra distance, but he was excited to see what the son of ATC Oaks winner Gust Of Wind – the last horse to beat the legendary Winx – could do.

“As a younger horse, he was a little bit aggressive and that’s why I kept him at that shorter trip a little bit longer, but as he’s gotten older, he learned to relax and really control his gallop,” Gollan said.

“That’s been the key to wanting to get him out further. He’s always had the pedigree, with his mother being an ATC Oaks winner, to get out in trip, he’s just had to get the racing manners right to give himself the chance to do that.

Loading

“He’s developed into a lovely horse and I don’t think the distance will be a problem. I guess you never really know until they win over it, but what we are seeing at the mile suggests he’ll do that.

“The Toorak was a good, solidly run mile, and he was really good through the line, so everything I see in the way he’s racing and managing himself in the runs suggests this distance will suit him.

“Obviously the race is a step up from the prelude, but his form is great. He’s trained on really well the last fortnight, so we’re certainly very happy with him.

“I don’t think the draw is the end of the world; he’s got good gate speed. I think we can get a nice enough run. There’s a couple there that will go forward, but Tommy Berry’s a good rider. I’m more than hopefully we can find our spot.”

Curtis has sense of timing with Bauhinia in chase for black-type win

Rosehill trainers Lee and Cherie Curtis feel Bauhinia is due a change in luck in the pursuit of a black-type win when she contests the group 2 Hot Danish Stakes (1400m) at home on Saturday.

And they hope the fortunate booking of who Lee believes will be the top jockey in Sydney one day, Zac Lloyd, is a sign it could arrive.

Trainer Lee Curtis.Credit: Getty

Bauhinia was a $31 chance in the $2 million Invitation (1400m) for fillies and mares but ran well above her odds, surging late once clear to finish fifth, just a length and a half from winner Stefi Magnetica.

“Our jockey Chad [Schofield] said that if Miss Roumbini wasn’t outside us, we run second for sure, so we were pretty happy with her,” Lee said.

“She’s gone along nicely since and she’s at that stage in the prep where if there’s any chink in their armour, they are in the paddock.

“Our other good mare, Modella, ran well, but she’s gone out. You are looking for things, for something not right, but she’s perfect.

“She’s flying, she’s going great and she worked well on Tuesday.”

Loading

Schofield is riding Flemington on Saturday, leaving the husband-and-wife training team looking for a replacement. Lee was thrilled to pick up Lloyd for his $10 (TAB) chance.

“I was at the trials on [Wednesday] morning and I was talking to [trainer] Michael Hawkes and Zac, and I said, you riding Gangsta [Granny]? He said, no, they weren’t accepting with her, so I said to Zac, come ride my horse then,” he said.

“It was just good timing. He’s going to be the best jockey there, in my opinion.”

Five-year-old Victorian stake race-winning mares Miss Roumbini ($2.50) and Miraval Rose ($2.30) lead the market for the Hot Danish, where four-year-old Bauhinia has gate seven of nine.

The Hellbent mare, owned by an all-female syndicate, has won two of 10 starts and has not finished top three at black-type level in four attempts.

“I think in her career she’s bad barriers and bad luck,” Lee said.

“When she ran second to that horse of Matt Smith’s [Idle Flyer], she probably wasn’t ridden great. She was probably a bit close.

“I think last start she probably should have nearly finished second. She ran in the Silver Shadow early on and she was desperately unlucky in that. She couldn’t get into clear air and got beaten a length and a half.

“She’s shown she’s up to them, she deserves to be in there and she should run a good race.

“She’s definitely deserves a bit of black type. She just needs a bit of luck.”

The Curtis’ also have Queen Tavane ($34) racing in the third, a 2400m benchmark 78. She broke through at Taree two starts back then was second at Wyong.

“She’s doing it all this prep,” he said.

“She didn’t know what she was doing before, and we think she’s a nice, emerging stayer. We’re happy going into the weekend with those two.”

Most Viewed in Sport

Loading