Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
Queensland's charismatic trainer Tony Gollan kicked off the year in spectacular fashion; a memorable five-win haul at Eagle Farm on Saturday following a Magic Millions double on Friday night, further cementing his dominant lead in the premiership race.
Gollan's five winners on Saturday were Habeebah, Hurts So Good, Kronenbourg, About To Explode, and Torabella, bringing his tally to 61 metropolitan victories for the season and keeping him on track for another record-breaking year.
The night before, Zarastro (I Am Invincible) took out the MM Snippets while Hidden Wealth (Better Than Ready) claimed victory in the $1.5 million Magic Millions QTIS Open. Reflecting on the win, Tony Gollan praised Hidden Wealth's sire, Better Than Ready, as one of two local sires—alongside Spirit of Boom—who have provided a much-needed boost to Queensland racing.
After retiring to Lyndhurst Stud in 2016 following an on-track career that saw him register eight wins from 16 starts, Better Than Ready is going as well as ever, delivering back-to-back titles of Queensland Champion Stallion.
Better Than Ready | Standing at Lyndburst Stud
And just like fellow star Queensland sire Spirit Of Boom, he arrived at stud right when his state was crying out for elite-level horses.
“I think in Queensland we’ve got two really good stallions in Better Than Ready and Spirit Of Boom,” Gollan told The Thoroughbred Report.
“They’re both doing brilliant jobs for their owners. I just didn’t know what sort of stallion he’d make. He was a good racehorse, Better Than Ready, but he was below the top grade.
“But he’s just done an amazing job at stud – when he went to stud, I don’t think anyone would’ve thought he’d do the job that he’s doing now.
“He and Spirit of Boom are two great colonial-bred stallions that Racing Queensland really needed at that time. There’s a great QTIS scheme up here in Queensland, and they’re two stallions you certainly love buying.”
Spirit Of Boom | Standing at Eureka Stud
Zarastro's weather luck
Another crafty buy that ended up in the Gollan stable was 6-year-old gelding Zarastro.
“I can’t lay claim to buying him. The ERC (Executive Racing Club) boys bought him – Dave Dick, Darren Smeath and Jamie Haimes bought him for $32,500 from Inglis Digital,” Gollan said.
“We’ve had to just do our best with him, and luckily enough he’s responded really well to what we’ve done. He’s obviously a highly-talented racehorse.”
Zarastro won with ease after starting with $10 winning odds, but Gollan was not surprised about the comprehensive manner in which he kicked clear from the 100-metre mark.
Zarastro winning the Howden Magic Millions Snippets | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“I wasn’t surprised, and yes I did have a good feeling about the horse,” he said.
“He did really come on. I was gutted the week before on the Gold Coast, and the rain started to set in mid-morning. And then it rained again during the meeting. I was starting to get pretty deflated because I was going to have to scratch him.
“He can’t handle the wet at all, and behold the races were washed out when the rain really hit.
“He (Zarastro) can’t handle the wet at all, and behold the races were washed out when the rain really hit.” - Tony Gollan
“And then we got to go back on a Good 4, six days later, which was a godsend for a horse like him. He deadset wouldn’t have handled that track the week before.
“He had a bit of a flat run second-up off a good effort first up, and he really just appeared to be peaking for Magic Millions Day, which was my plan all the way along.”
Gollan is now daring to dream of Doomben 10,000 spoils with Zarastro in the G1 feature worth $1.5 million and over 1200 metres on May 17.
“I’ll look towards the winter with him. There are a few races we might tick him off in, or we may not,” the top Queensland trainer said.
“I’ll look towards the winter with him. There are a few races we might tick him off in, or we may not.” - Tony Gollan
“His distance running makes it a little bit tricky. He probably just gets out to 1350, but I think he’s very effective at 1200.
“I’d love to get him in a Doomben 10,000, which is probably a rung above where he’s been. But it’s at home here on our doorstep, and he’s a good, tough hardy sprinter.
“So maybe a race like that, but it could be dreaming about pie-in-the-sky stuff. There are several options for him at that distance range throughout our winter carnival. He won’t travel. He’ll stay here in Queensland, and round out the season here at home.”
Gollan was also confident Hidden Wealth would end up victorious in the Magic Millions QTIS Open over 1300 metres, after starting one of the favourites with $4 winning odds.
Hidden Wealth winning the Magic Millions QTIS Open | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
He said his first-up effort to salute by 3.38l in the $200,000 George Moore S. over 1200 metres on a Heavy 10 at Doomben on November 30 laid the platform for the impressive performance on the Glitter Strip last Friday night.
“His first-up run in the summer I thought was fantastic on a very heavy track at Doomben,” Gollan said.
“He just had that bit of a flat run second-up (last in the Listed Magic Millions Falvelon at Doomben on December 21) off that big effort, and that didn’t worry me.
“I saw that horse build and build, and get back to where he needed to be heading towards the Gold Coast.
“I saw that horse build and build, and get back to where he needed to be heading towards the Gold Coast.” - Tony Gollan
“He’s one who would’ve handled the wet or the dry – there was no concern there. But that extra week between runs, I don’t think it hurt either of these two horses.
“He presented in such good shape on Friday night, and he’s just a really versatile racehorse.
“He’s an ultimate professional, and he’s a horse now where I can dream of possibly getting him into the Stradbroke in winter.”
“He’s (Hidden Wealth) an ultimate professional, and he’s a horse now where I can dream of possibly getting him into the Stradbroke in winter.” - Tony Gollan
Shrewd Magic Millions buys backed by clients
Gollan bought 12 horses from this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, his most expensive purchase with John Foote Bloodstock and Blacksoil Racing being a Spirit Of Boom colt out of Pure Purrfection (General Nediym) for $575,000 from Eureka stud.
He is a full brother to 2020 Magic Millions H. winner, Outback Barbie.
“There’s not much left – there’s 20 per cent of one horse left. There’s not much left at all,” he said.
That one horse? A colt by Spirit Of Boom from Saone (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}).
Lot 810 - Spirit of Boom x Pure Purrfection (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“We’ve had great support from our clients. I thought we bought very well at the last sale, as a lot of people did, in the price brackets we wanted to buy in.
“So they sold really quickly. We had a pretty big support network going into the sales, and they all rallied behind the stable, which has been great. We’ve had a good start to the season, and a really good start to the year. That always helps come sale time.
“We did a lot of work with our clients going into the sale rallying them around the Magic Millions Sale.
“There’s something for every budget from Day 1 and the start of Book 1 to the end of Book 2. So it is a really good sale. And you can take these horses back and race for such huge riches for the rest of their careers on the big race days.”
What's the secret to purchasing a top horse? Gollan's agent John Foote shared his insights.
John Foote | Image courtesy of Inglis
“It is like everything else in life – hard work. I look at a lot of horses and have a lot of experience,” Foote told The Thoroughbred Report.
“I’ve been doing it for a long time for a lot of people around the world. There’s no secret formula. You’ve just got to use your experience from the past.
“That (Gollan's loyal client base) is a follow-on from his horses who have been running well, and people are happy to invest if they know someone’s doing it reasonably well.”
“I’ve been doing it for a long time for a lot of people around the world. There’s no secret formula. You’ve just got to use your experience from the past.” - John Foote
Foote is currently in New Zealand for the Karaka 2025 – Book 1 Sale from January 26-28, but this year Gollan won't be flying over to join him.
“I won’t make the journey this year – we’re quite busy this weekend with the culmination of our Summer Carnival – the Goldmarket and Sunshine Coast Cup meetings on Friday-Saturday,” Gollan said.
“I’ll stay home, and John will be over there. We’ll look to purchase one or two yearlings in New Zealand, and then we’ll be quite active with quite a few syndicators at the (Inglis) Classic Yearling Sale.
“We normally come away with half a dozen yearlings from that sale.”
Group 1 grand plan for Freedom Rally
Of the horses currently in work, Gollan is confident Freedom Rally (Rubick) can follow in stablemate Antino’s (NZ) (Redwood) (GB) footsteps and record a Group 1 win this year.
Freedom Rally impressed with a third and second in the respective Listed Five Diamonds Prelude and Five Diamonds at Randwick and Rosehill last preparation.
Other than that, Gollan said he did not want to look too far ahead regarding what could be on offer for him in 2025.
Freedom Rally | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“I haven’t really set any goals. One goal was to try and train a Group 1 winner this season, which we’ve done with Antino,” he said.
“I’d certainly love to train more of those. Freedom Rally is a horse I’ve got really good hopes for this year. We saw him in Sydney in the spring. He did a really good job."
A shot at the G1 CJ Orr S. over 1400 metres at Caulfield on February 8 is where the 5-year-old gelding could be lining up next.
“He’s making his way down to Melbourne at the moment,” Gollan said.
“We’ll put him in the deep end, similar to what I did with Antino, and we’ll see if he’ll sink or swim early this autumn. He’s a horse I’ve got a big opinion of, and I think he’s come back absolutely super.”
