The Tony Gollan trained Antino is all set to carry the hopes of Australia (in general) and Queensland (in particular) into the $HK36 million Longines Hong Kong Mile at Sha Tin on December 8.
The Redwood gelding has already ticked a massive box in this assignment plan by building form momentum in no uncertain terms in recent starts to confirm that he is ready for an international assignment and absolutely deserving of the opportunity.
“He has gone to a new level this Spring. I never had any doubts he would do that … just a bit of frustration along the way,” said Gollan.
“His world ratings will tell you now how he has gone to a new level. I’m just very proud of what the horse has been doing.”
The six-year-old has had five starts this season, four of them in Group 1 company (when never finishing further back than fourth place) with the Toorak Handicap win over 1600m, in his penultimate start at Caulfield on October 12, giving Antino his first taste of success at the elite level.
Last Saturday, four weeks after that Group 1 breakthrough win, Antino once again showed just how well he is doing within himself with a close-up, runner-up finish behind Mr Brightside in the Group 1 Cantala Stakes over 1600m at Flemington.
That progress … and then maintaining such a high level of performance at this vital stage means the first segment of a three-part trick has been successfully negotiated.
A horse going to Hong Kong has to be well … and doing well … before making the trip if he is to have any chance of success.
Part two of the three-part trick is now in play.
The gap of four weeks in-between runs clearly had Antino thriving last time out … and it will be another planned four-week gap between runs before Antino faces the starter at Sha Tin.
The emphasis now is more about keeping Antino happy and healthy in the lead-up to the trip, in transit itself … and then during the settling in period in Hong Kong, which is located just shy of 7000km from his home base in Brisbane.
“The preparations are going exactly as I would have wanted. He is as fit as you can get him. I can’t get him any fitter, so we haven’t got a whole lot to do with him between now and Hong Kong.
“The four weeks in-between runs showed me I can keep him at that level, particularly spacing his runs … and I’m very confident that we can keep him at that level over four weeks again going into the Hong Kong Mile.
“Keeping him as happy as he has been, is the aim now.
The third part of the three-part trick obviously comes down to Antino’s performance on the day in what is likely to be a star-studded lineup given that the entry list in late October (with horses from ten countries) featured sixteen Group 1 winners.
That will remain an unknown until the race gets underway.
Antino likes to dawdle out of the gates, so, in truth, it would be a surprise if he doesn’t, but he certainly has negated much of that supposed disadvantage at the jump by being happy to settle into his rhythm in his own time and then finish off the race well … and Blake Shinn, who has ridden Antino in three of his last four starts (including the Toorak win) will know exactly how to get the best out of his mount.
In May 2016 a horse called Chautauqua dawdled out of the gates in the Chairman’s Sprint in Hong Kong, settling into stride some three lengths behind the second last runner.
The rest, as they say, is history with Chautauque scoring a win that was as rousing as any last-to-first win can be.
The speed was well-and-truly on that day which helped Chautauqua get home over the top of his opposition.
Antino might need his race to be run in a similar fashion for him to be most effective and the roar would be just as big as it was that day if Antino does get the job done in similar, scintillating fashion.
“Hong Kong has always been the long-range plan, which is why, after the Toorak I wasn’t tempted by any other race, other than waiting for the Champion’s Mile at Flemington … and now I’m waiting for the Hong Kong International Mile,” said Gollan.
“We are very excited right now about having our first international runner, but I’ll be happier when we get there, and everything is in good order.
“If we get him there in good shape, I’m sure he will do us proud.”
