Latest news with #TonyGollan
News.com.au
16 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
2025 Stradbroke Handicap field: Tony Gollan's gun galloper Transatlantic made second emergency
The Instructor has grabbed the last spot in Saturday's Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap starting field, with Tony Gollan's great hope Transatlantic stranded outside the field as the second emergency. Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, The Instructor was the 29th horse in ballot order but snared the last spot in the 18-horse final field when it was declared on Tuesday morning. It will give young Victorian jockey Jett Stanley a chance to score a Stradbroke fairytale. Rothfire was given the all-clear for Stradbroke takeoff by trainer Rob Heathcote and was an acceptor, with James McDonald booked to ride, in Saturday's $3m Stradbroke. Rothfire will still face more vets' scrutiny through the week but the Heathcote camp is delighted with his progress from a minor foot injury that had at one stage threatened to rule the grand warrior out of the Stradbroke. Lindsay Park has the two Stradbroke favourites – War Machine and Rise At Dawn. They had been sweating on a start for their second seed Rise At Dawn, who had been number 24 in the ballot order, but he easily made the field. Chris Waller 's sprinter Coleman is the first emergency with Gollan's great Stradbroke hope, Transatlantic, the second emergency. Star jockey @ZacLloydx will ride Bosustow on Saturday as he attempts to defend the Stradbroke Handicap title he won last year aboard Stefi Magnetica. At Eagle Farm this morning, he spoke to Racenet's @daniel_pace17 about the 3yo's chances. — Racenet (@RacenetTweets) June 9, 2025 • On Monday, Gollan told Racenet he was resigned to missing the Stradbroke starting field with Transatlantic who won the Listed Spear Chief at Eagle Farm last Saturday. Gollan narrowly missed qualifying Antino (2023) and Freedom Rally (2024) and both of those horses were instead deployed to win the Wayne Wilson Mile on Stradbroke day. If Transatlantic doesn't gain a Stradbroke start, he will race in the Wayne Wilson Mile. There is a racing rule in Queensland that means that Transatlantic wasn't eligible for a Stradbroke weight penalty after his win in the Spear Chief. He could have been potentially re-handicapped if he had won a race that offered $95,000 or more to the winner – but the Spear Chief first prizemoney was $92,000. If Transatlantic does not make the Stradbroke field, young gun Brisbane jockey Angela Jones will ride Toby Edmonds' three-year-old filly Spicy Martini. Racenet's @bendorries76 was at Breakfast With The Stars at Eagle Farm this morning as Stradbroke Handicap contenders strutted their stuff. Here's The Inflictor with Cejay Graham in the saddle ... and you can read more about the fairytale galloper here ðŸ'‡ — Racenet (@RacenetTweets) June 9, 2025 GROUP 1 STRADBROKE HANDICAP (1400m) $3 million | Saturday, June 14, 2025 Horse | Barrier | Trainer | Jockey | Weight 1. PRIVATE EYE | (TBC) | Joe Pride | Nash Rawiller | 57kg 2. ROTHFIRE | (TBC) | Robert Heathcote | James McDonald | 55.5kg 3. DESERT LIGHTNING | (TBC) | Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman | Tommy Berry | 54.5kg 4. KIMOCHI | (TBC) | Gary Portelli | Craig Williams | 54kg 5. YELLOW BRICK | (TBC) | Tony & Maddysen Sears | Andrew Mallyon | 53.5kg 6. GOLDEN MILE | (TBC) | James Cummings | Jason Collett | 53.5kg 7. WAR MACHINE | (TBC) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Tim Clark | 53kg 8. PAYLINE | (TBC) | Chris & Corey Munce | Kyle Wilson-Taylor | 53kg 9. PUNCH LANE | (TBC) | Anthony & Sam Freedman | Rachel King | 53kg 10. FRONT PAGE | (TBC) | Matthew Dale | Damien Thornton | 52.5kg 11. ROBUSTO | (TBC) | Bjorn Baker | Kerrin McEvoy | 52.5kg 12. FAR TOO EASY | (TBC) | David McColm | Regan Bayliss | 52.5kg 13. RISE AT DAWN | (TBC) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Declan Bates | 52.5kg 14. THE INSTRUCTOR | (TBC) | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Jett Stanley | 52kg 15. BOSUSTOW | (TBC) | Annabel & Rob Archibald | Zac Lloyd | 51.5kg 16. THE INFLICTOR | (TBC) | Craig Cousins | Cejay Graham | 51kg 17. FIRESTORM | (TBC) | Chris Waller | Not Notified | 51kg 18. SPICY MARTINI | (TBC) | Toby Edmonds & Stephen McLean | Not Notified | 46.9kg Emergencies 19e. COLEMAN | (TBC) | Chris Waller | Not Notified | 50kg 20e. TRANSATLANTIC | (TBC) | Tony Gollan | Not Notified | 51kg 21e. WATERFORD | (TBC) | Chris Waller | Not Notified | 51kg 22e. PIER | (TBC) | Darryn & Briar Weatherley | Mark Du Plessis | 51kg 23e. WARNIE | (TBC) | Ciaron Maher | Not Notified | 51kg
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Tony Gollan galloper Transatlantic set to have Stradbroke Handicap hopes dashed by Queensland prizemoney rule
For the third successive year, Tony Gollan is resigned to missing the Stradbroke Handicap field with a horse he felt could have given Queensland's greatest race a mighty shake. Gollan narrowly missed qualifying Antino (2023) and Freedom Rally (2024) and both of those horses instead were deployed to win the Wayne Wilson Mile on Stradbroke day. • It appears he is likely to be in the same boat with Transatlantic, who Queensland's champion trainer has long felt is a hugely talented galloper capable of making a Stradbroke mark. Bookmakers rate Transatlantic highly in Stradbroke markets, elevating the four-year-old gelding to be an $11 chance after his win in the Listed Spear Chief Handicap at Eagle Farm last Saturday. However, it appears Transatlantic is likely to miss the Stradbroke and he is stuck at No.33 in the latest ballot order and outside the final 18-horse field even accounting for the attrition rate above him in the order. There is a racing rule that means that Transatlantic wasn't able for a Stradbroke weight penalty after his win in the Spear Chief. In Queensland, the conditions are that Transatlantic was eligible to be moved up the Stradbroke ballot order but could not be re-handicapped for last Saturday's win. He could have been potentially re-handicapped if he had won a race that offered $95,000 or more to the winner – but the Spear Chief first prizemoney was $92,000. Transatlantic shows them how it's done in the Listed Spear Chief! ðŸ'° @tonygollan @RMaloney_Jockey @BrisRacingClub — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025 Gollan has been left disappointed as he feels Transatlantic, with Angela Jones booked to ride, could have given the Stradbroke a proper crack. But he said 'rules are rules'. • Zac on rare quest to score consecutive Stradbroke Handicaps 'Every year, a horse seems to be left out of the Stradbroke that would have made it a better race,' Gollan said. 'But at the end of the day, rules are rules and I did have 12 months to try to qualify him for the Stradbroke. 'I knew things were probably stacked against me when he didn't win The Gateway last December (which offered the winner a Stradbroke golden ticket). 'I guess even if he got a weight penalty from his win last weekend, he still wasn't a certainty to make the field.' With Transatlantic unlikely to get a run, Jones will ride three-year-old filly Spicy Martini, which qualified for the Stradbroke after winning the Fred Best Classic last Wednesday. The Stradbroke final field will be declared at 10am on Tuesday and fringe contenders will then know whether they have got a start or will be left outside the field and potentially slated as one of the five emergencies. Lindsay Park sprinter War Machine is the $2.80 Stradbroke favourite and they also have the second pick in betting, Rise At Dawn ($8) who it is intended will back-up from finishing fifth behind Joliestar in last Saturday's Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup. Rise At Dawn is currently outside the likely field in the ballot order but there are several above him who will not be acceptors on Tuesday. On Monday, Rise At Dawn was not totally guaranteed a Stradbroke start but co-trainer Ben Hayes said there was no point worrying about it.
The Australian
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Joliestar storms home in Kingsford Smith Cup to deny local fairtyale
The legend of Chris Waller went to a new level as the champion trainer combined with James McDonald to narrowly deny an extraordinary Queensland fairytale at Eagle Farm. Joliestar snatched victory from the jaws of almost certain defeat in the Kingsford Smith Cup to mow down Tony Gollan's Queensland bolter Zarastro and deny jockey Angela Jones her maiden Group 1. It gave Waller his 19th Group 1 of the season, breaking his previous record for the most Group 1 winners in a season in Australia. It was also the first time a female horse had won the Kingsford Smith since Sea Siren saluted in 2012 and Black Caviar a year earlier. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! But this was a race that was about far more than raw statistics. Just about everyone seemed to have it pegged as a clash between Newmarket Handicap champion Joliestar and Giga Kick, the former The Everest champion. But no-one told young Queensland jockey Jones, riding in just her third Group 1 race and only partnering Gollan-trained Zarastro because the race had been rescheduled from the washout a week earlier. • What the jockeys said: 2025 Kingsford Smith Cup Zarastro, having his first lash at a Group 1, fought like a caged tiger to head off a challenge from Golden Mile and he looked to be heading for an incredible triumph. Then came Joliestar from so far back that even McDonald thought it was a near impossibility, snatching an incredible last gasp win. Joliestar will almost certainly not contest next Saturday's Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap, with owner Brendan Lindsay saying it's not on the cards. Sights will be set on a revenge mission in this year's The Everest after the Joliestar team felt the mare raced without any luck last year. Waller felt that what ended up being the winning move was McDonald getting Joliestar across ahead of Giga Kick in the early stages. But, watching the race, Waller still felt it was a tall order to be able to run down the leaders. • Dale ponders shot at Stradbroke with Front Page 'It's been hard to run the leaders down today but we discussed things pre-race and we couldn't change our racing pattern,' Waller said. 'James went straight across from the barriers and got in front of Giga Kick and one or two others and that was what probably won him the race. 'Joliestar was off the bridle at the 500(m) but her class got her home. 'We missed out on (winning) The Everest last year, so we would like to have another crack this year.' McDonald described Joliestar as a 'big rocket.' 'She wasn't entitled to win, but that's how good she is,' he said. 'When I looked up at the 600 (m) I thought I was OK. 'Then I got on my bike but as soon as I did that, the pace quickened and the margin went from five lengths turning for home to seven lengths. 'It just didn't feel like I was making ground. 'I was lucky I was on a proper horse, even though she didn't like the ground at Eagle Farm today.' Joliestar returns to scale. Picture: Trackside Photography • Sunrays ends stellar campaign as trainer resists Group 1 lure There has rarely been a happier second-placed finisher in a Group 1 than Gollan who was proud as punch of Zarastro which started as a $17 chance. 'He ran the race of his life, he was so tough,' Gollan said. 'He was beaten three times down the straight, but he kept putting his head out. 'I couldn't have been prouder of the horse, he hasn't raced in many weeks due to track conditions and things like that. 'Then to go down to such a good, strong race like that and race that well, I'm so happy. 'I knew we got beat on the line but it took a multiple Group 1 winner to beat him. 'I'm very proud of my horse and I'm very proud of Angela.' Giga Kick battled away but could only manage sixth while potential Stradbroke Handicap contender Rise At Dawn was fifth. The connections of Giga Kick said it was one of the few times in his career that he has produced a disappointing run.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Joliestar storms home for thrilling last-stride victory in Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup
The legend of Chris Waller went to a new level as the champion trainer combined with James McDonald to narrowly deny an extraordinary Queensland fairytale at Eagle Farm. Joliestar snatched victory from the jaws of almost certain defeat in the Kingsford Smith Cup to mow down Tony Gollan's Queensland bolter Zarastro and deny jockey Angela Jones her maiden Group 1. It gave Waller his 19th Group 1 of the season, breaking his previous record for the most Group 1 winners in a season in Australia. It was also the first time a female horse had won the Kingsford Smith since Sea Siren saluted in 2012 and Black Caviar a year earlier. But this was a race that was about far more than raw statistics. Just about everyone seemed to have it pegged as a clash between Newmarket Handicap champion Joliestar and Giga Kick, the former The Everest champion. But no-one told young Queensland jockey Jones, riding in just her third Group 1 race and only partnering Gollan-trained Zarastro because the race had been rescheduled from the washout a week earlier. Zarastro, having his first lash at a Group 1, fought like a caged tiger to head off a challenge from Golden Mile and he looked to be heading for an incredible triumph. Then came Joliestar from so far back that even McDonald thought it was a near impossibility, snatching an incredible last gasp win. Joliestar will almost certainly not contest next Saturday's Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap, with owner Brendan Lindsay saying it's not on the cards. An EPIC finish in the G1 Kingsford Smith Cup sees Joliestar nab them right on the line to take her third Group 1! 🤩 @cwallerracing @mcacajamez @BrisRacingClub @RaceQLD â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025 Sights will be set on a revenge mission in this year's The Everest after the Joliestar team felt the mare raced without any luck last year. Waller felt that what ended up being the winning move was McDonald getting Joliestar across ahead of Giga Kick in the early stages. But, watching the race, Waller still felt it was a tall order to be able to run down the leaders. • Dale ponders shot at Stradbroke with Front Page 'It's been hard to run the leaders down today but we discussed things pre-race and we couldn't change our racing pattern,' Waller said. 'James went straight across from the barriers and got in front of Giga Kick and one or two others and that was what probably won him the race. 'Joliestar was off the bridle at the 500(m) but her class got her home. 'We missed out on (winning) The Everest last year, so we would like to have another crack this year.' McDonald described Joliestar as a 'big rocket.' 'She wasn't entitled to win, but that's how good she is,' he said. 'When I looked up at the 600 (m) I thought I was OK. 'Then I got on my bike but as soon as I did that, the pace quickened and the margin went from five lengths turning for home to seven lengths. 'It just didn't feel like I was making ground. 'I was lucky I was on a proper horse, even though she didn't like the ground at Eagle Farm today.' • Sunrays ends stellar campaign as trainer resists Group 1 lure There has rarely been a happier second-placed finisher in a Group 1 than Gollan who was proud as punch of Zarastro which started as a $17 chance. 'He ran the race of his life, he was so tough,' Gollan said. 'He was beaten three times down the straight, but he kept putting his head out. 'I couldn't have been prouder of the horse, he hasn't raced in many weeks due to track conditions and things like that. 'Then to go down to such a good, strong race like that and race that well, I'm so happy. 'I knew we got beat on the line but it took a multiple Group 1 winner to beat him. 'I'm very proud of my horse and I'm very proud of Angela.' Giga Kick battled away but could only manage sixth while potential Stradbroke Handicap contender Rise At Dawn was fifth. The connections of Giga Kick said it was one of the few times in his career that he has produced a disappointing run.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Angela Jones seizes unexpected opportunity with Zarastro in Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup
Angela Jones was one of the few people at Eagle Farm last Saturday who was not at all dismayed when the races were called off. It meant she now gets an unexpected shot at riding in the third Group 1 race of her career. With Tony Gollan's speed machine Zarastro scratched from the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup last Saturday because of the deteriorating track, Jones was secretly hoping the race might not go ahead when more bad weather struck. With the Group 1 postponed to this Saturday at Eagle Farm, and scratchings reinstated, the rising star Queensland jockey gets her Group 1 chance on one of her favourite horses. 'When I heard he was scratched I was hoping the meeting got called off, because I really want to see him in a good Group 1 field this winter carnival,' Jones said. 'Riding Zarastro would probably be my best chance to win a Group 1 to date and I have formed some a good connection with him. 'It's now pretty special to be riding him at that top level, when he's been such a good horse to me. 'He goes hard and he's a big beast of a horse and he knows that. 'But come to race day and he's pretty straightforward. 'He has to roll along, that's his advantage, he can't be going too slow or it doesn't work out. 'He knows what pace he needs to go at and you just have to roll with him.' • Queensland Oaks tips, runner-by-runner form analysis Zarastro has already given Jones three stakes wins and provided some of the biggest moments in the jockey's young career when scoring a $1m race on Gold Coast Magic Millions day in January and a Group 3 sprint during last year's Queensland winter carnival. Zarastro, a winner of more than $1.3m in prizemoney, is a $23 chance in the Kingsford Smith which has been weakened by several scratchings. Jones' two Group 1 experiences so far have come when riding $101 bolter Tick Tock Queen (eighth in last year's Stradbroke) and Comrade Rosa (12th in last year's Tatt's Tiara). She feels Zarastro will make his presence felt on Saturday. • $8000 filly who 'walks like a duck' spices up Stradbroke field Jones is currently seven wins behind her great mate, apprentice jockey Emily Lang, in the race for the Brisbane jockeys' title. 'The premiership is in the back of my mind, I can't have it in forefront of my mind,' Jones said. 'I've just got to focus on riding the winners I can and making the most of the chances you have, rather than focusing on the numbers and what could be or what could have been. 'I am good friends with Emily, which makes it almost harder. 'First things first and I'm looking forward to Zarastro. 'The race looks to map quite well last week for him and it will again this week, if the sun stays out. 'I don't see why he can't be competitive.' Bosustow, who was disappointing finishing sixth in the Fred Best Classic at Doomben on Wednesday, has joined Private Eye in being scratched from the Kingsford Smith.
