Some of Australian racing’s biggest names ramped up their spring campaigns on Monday and Antino hinted that maybe he is ready to step into the top echelon with an impressive jumpout at Cranbourne.
The Queenslander pressed his Memsie Stakes claims with a solid hitout against Pride Of Jenni.
The leading Horse Of The Year contender won the 800m trial narrowly, but had Antino closing late under little riding from Jamie Kah.
The performance affirmed Antino’s liking for the Melbourne way of going and revived Tony Gollan’s hope that he might be set to break his Group 1 hoodoo.
“In a season of a lot of winners last year, I just felt without winning a Group 1 with him it didn’t feel like a good season,” Gollan recently said of Antino, a winner of 10 of his 17 starts.
“I felt like I didn’t get the job done, to be honest, so he’s been the negative in what has been a good year so it’s really unfinished business
“I really want to win a Group 1 (with him). I’m under no illusions of how strong the Memsie is going to be, I know what’s in it and it’s a hell of a strong race.
“But he loved his time in Melbourne last year, he raced really well on his Melbourne leg and I’m keen to see if he can mix it with the better horses.”
Happy Monday! 😃
3x G1 winner, Pride Of Jenni, wins her jump out narrowly from Antino.@cmaherracing pic.twitter.com/4Cef5Z2SvI
— Racing.com (@Racing) August 18, 2024
There will be no shortage of them waiting for him in the $750,000 Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 31, headlined by Pride Of Jenni and last year’s winner Mr Brightside.
The Pride Of Jenni and Antino trial was the headline workout at Cranbourne, while in Sydney a host of star performers stepped out on the Kensington track at Randwick, including Giga Kick.
The 2022 The Everest winner, who had James Mcdonald aboard, took part in an 850m trial and worked nicely to the line, 1-1/4 lengths behind Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot, who led all the way.
Also in the trial was Champagne Stakes runner-up Linebacker, who finished 5-1/2 lengths behind Giga Kick in third, marginally in advance of Doncaster Mile winner Celestial Legend, who was given an easy time of things in his first trial of the campaign.
Lady Of Camelot’s stablemate Storm Boy also had his second trial of the preparation, leading the way with Adam Hyeronimus guiding him to a 1-1/4-length win over Caballus.
Storm Boy covered the 850m of his trial in 51 seconds, which was 0.57secs slower than Lady Of Camelot.