It was an infinite finish to Caulfield Guineas Day in Melbourne on Saturday with the Toorak Handicap 2024 win going to the Tony Gollan-trained Antino who produced a stellar run to return proper spherical his rivals and salute by six and a half-lengths.
Antino received the 2024 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield by 6.5 lengths. Picture: Final Racing Photographs.
It was a deserving elite stage success for the Queensland who had been knocking on the door for a Group 1 win.
His time within the highlight got here within the final at Caulfield with the six-year-old son of Redwood bettering on his second to Attrition final 12 months to steal the present due to a daring journey by Blake Shinn on this 12 months’s Group 1 $1 million Toorak Handicap (1600m).
“He was sensible, he was superior, he’ s a extremely good horse, he’s been destined to win a Group 1 and it’s simply been a matter of when and to win it like that, we got here right here, it was so shut final 12 months, I assumed he was only a run brief,” Gollan stated.
“This 12 months I knew I had him, nearly as good as we’ve ever had him. It was only a matter of luck on the day, and he took that into his personal arms and acquired the job carried out.
“It means loads. Very a lot combined feelings. We have been again final early. Thought we have been in a number of bother however what a masterful journey by Blake.
“The very first thing we stated after Moonee Valley the opposite night time once we have been racing in opposition to Delight of Jenni (within the Feehan)
“He can maintain and construct strain in a race. Regardless of the place we landed immediately, we simply wished to journey after which have the ability to use that lengthy sustained run and that’s what he did.
“We took off a bit early on him, however he can maintain a superb gallop for a superb whereas, what a dominant show!”
The galloper got here off a trio of excellent lead-up runs in opposition to the season’s finest together with a Group 1 Makybe Diva third to Mr Brightside and third to Delight Of Jenni at The Valley final day trip within the Group 2 Feehan Stakes.
He offered rock-hard match fourth-up and able to fireplace within the Toorak, which he was capable of do due to the brave transfer by Shinn on the 500m that noticed the ring hit the whip and loop the sphere to return from final to take up entrance operating approaching the house flip.
It proved a profitable transfer with Antino responding fantastically extending his lead down the straight powering residence to salute by 6.5 lengths on the road over the runner-up Craig.
“Simply actually delighted to get the win on Antino immediately,” Shinn advised Racing.com.
“He’s been knocking on the door to get that Group 1 and we have been hoping that might come immediately.
“I rode him conservatively and introduced him into the race once I thought the race was slackening a bit.
“God he was robust to the road!”
In third finishing this 12 months’s Toorak Handicap trifecta was the Grant & Alana Williams-trained Star Flip mare from WA Alsephina who continued her good spring in Melbourne off a lead-up Group 2 Shares Stakes victory at Moonee Valley.
Gollan will now think about as as to if Antino will keep on with his unique next-up goal of the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) after which Hong Kong or be examined over additional this prep.
“Yeah, look this would possibly change issues now. I used to be possibly going to go to the Rupert Clarke, after which to Hong Kong, however I’ll simply play it by ear,” he stated.
“We’ll get residence and let the mud settle subsequent week, and you recognize the horse is within the peak of his powers now.
“It’s only a matter of holding him in that situation.”
2024 Toorak Handicap Outcomes
End
No.
Horse
Coach
Jockey
Margin
Bar.
Weight
Penalty
Beginning Value
1
3
ANTINO (NZ)
Tony Gollan
Blake Shinn
8
55.5kg
$4.80
2
9
CRAIG (GB)
Trent Busuttin & Natalie Younger
Craig Williams
6.5L
12
53.5kg
$10
3
7
ALSEPHINA
Grant & Alana Williams
Jye McNeil
6.85L
10
53.5kg
$19
4
1
DESERT LIGHTNING (NZ)
Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman
Luke Nolen
8.6L
11
57kg
$8.50
5
12
OSIPENKO (NZ)
Chris Waller
Damian Lane
9L
3
53.5kg
$9.50
6
6
ORCHESTRAL (NZ)
Roger James & Robert Wellwood
Daniel Stackhouse
9.75L
6
54kg
$17
7
4
ANOTHER WIL
Ciaron Maher
Michael Dee
9.9L
1
55kg
$2.20F
8
10
JIMMY THE BEAR
Patrick & Michelle Payne
Billy Egan
10.65L
7
53.5kg
$51
9
5
LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (FR)
Ciaron Maher
John Allen
10.75L
5
54.5kg
$71
10
13
WISHLOR LASS
Symon Wilde
Declan Bates
11.5L
9
53.5kg
$26
11
11
MAGNASPIN
Leon & Troy Corstens & Will Larkin
Daniel Moor
11.56L
2
53.5kg
$101
12
8
BANK MAUR
Richard Laming
Patrick Moloney
13.81L
4
53.5kg
$61
2
PERICLES
James Cummings
James McDonald
0
Desk Credit score: Racing Australia.
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