Antino blitzes Doomben Cup rivals
‘Bring on Via Sistina and the Cox Plate’ was the bold call from trainer Tony Gollan and jockey Blake Shinn after Antino (Redwood) broke a nine-year-old course record with a slashing triumph in Saturday’s Doomben Cup (Gr 1, 2000m).
In a breathtaking demolition of a quality 12-horse field in Brisbane’s time-honoured feature, Antino underlined how, at six, he’d blossomed into one of the stars of Australian weight-for-age racing with his dominant victory.
Settled near last from gate ten by Shinn, Queensland’s new racing folk hero began his customary long, sweeping run at around the 700m, powered to the lead five-wide around the home turn, and bolted home by 3.95 lengths as a well-backed $3 favourite.
On a track upgraded to a Good 4 two races earlier, the New Zealand Ready To Run sale product clocked 2:00.88 – beating the old mark of 2:00.96 set by Real Love (Desert King) in the JRA Cup (Gr 3, 2000m) of 2016.
And after watching his flashy black son of Redwood (High Chaparral) make it 13 wins from 26 starts with his second Group 1 – and going back-to-back after a similar romp at his previous start in the Gold Coast’s Hollindale Stakes (Gr 2, 1800m) – Gollan said the best horse he’d trained was ready for greater goals in the spring.
Chief among them is the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m), where Antino will likely clash with Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock), the nine-time Group 1 winner acknowledged as the finest horse in the land, who won last year’s edition with a sizzling record time and equal-record margin of eight lengths.
Antino bypassed the Cox Plate last spring, instead taking his first elite success in Caulfield’s Toorak Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) – atoning for a 0.1 length defeat in the previous year’s edition – and then sticking to the same trip for a brave 0.46–length second to Mr Brightside (Bullbars) in Flemington’s Cantala Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m).
But after Antino passed his initial test over 2000m in such stunning style on Saturday – in the first local Doomben Cup win since Lord Seaman (Seaman) in 1983 – Gollan has no doubts he can acquit himself well over roughly the same distance in the Cox Plate.
“He’s the best horse I’ve trained,” the 11-time Brisbane premier trainer said in post-race interviews.
“I said that a couple of seasons ago before he’d won a Group 1, and I was looking like a bit of a fool there for a while.
“But to run a track record today – jeez, a lot of good horses have won Doomben Cups, a stack of them over the years. He’s put himself in rare air now.
“And I think he can really go on with it in the spring in Melbourne. He’s a genuine weight-for-age horse, genuine at 2000 metres, and there’s a lot to look forward to.”
Gollan said Antino would now be spelled before being prepared for the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 25.
“And why not?” he said. “His style of racing suits a race like that, at an amphitheatre where they can build and build.
“He’s stamped himself as one of Australian’s best weight-for-age horses now, particularly at the middle distance.
“I’m just awfully grateful to Jeetu [Ramchandani] for giving him to me to train. He’s a privilege for me to train, and I can’t wait to get him to Melbourne in the spring.
Hong Kong based Ramchandani, of New Balance Racing, parted with just $27,000 to buy Antino at the NZB Ready to Run Sale of 2020.
Antino now has $3.1 million in the bank after his Doomben Cup romp as a well backed $3 favourite, in which Fawkner Park (Zoffany) took second at $8.50, with Kovalica (Ocean Park) third at $7.
Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) led as usual as a $5.50 second elect but wilted in the straight to finish tenth.
Antino’s victory made Shinn the most successful jockey in Doomben Cup history with four wins, having twice gone back-to-back. He scored last year on Bois D’Argent (Toronado), while also winning on Streama (Stratum) and Pornichet (Vespone) in 2014 and 2015.
The race has deep meaning for Shinn, since trainer Guy Walter died from a heart attack only a few days after his mare Streama’s victory.
Shinn was highly emotional after Saturday’s edition – revealing he’d received a “good luck” text from Walter’s widow Wendy hours earlier – whilst also somewhat awestruck as he waxed lyrical about the special qualities of Antino.
“He’s maybe not champion status but he could be on the verge of something special,” Shinn said.
“J-Mac (James McDonald) probably rides these horses season after season but I haven’t felt one of these horses really ever, although I’ve ridden some great ones.
“It’s great to ride a superstar like this and be able to make moves and be able to do things that you can’t on (other) horses. But I feel he’s an absolutely great horse.”
Shinn said Antino was “out of his comfort zone” near the tail while Pride Of Jenni set a cracking pace through the first half of the race.
“I was on the back of Osipenko, where I wanted to be, and it felt I was in the best part of the track,” he said.
“We got to the 800 and he just started to come underneath me. You’ll see me come out four wide, and I felt he told me when he wanted to go, so I just let him be.
“We know he can absorb a 1000-metre run if need be, but today it was probably a 700-metre run.
“He told me when he was ready to go. I didn’t cut the ribbons at that point, but when I gave him a signal at about the 500, he just went into overdrive.
“It’s like driving a Ferrari, and it’s pretty awesome to feel.”
Shinn said Antino was now ready for a Cox Plate.
“He’s going to tackle Via Sistina and the like, but I think he’s at an age now, where he’s had some hardened racing against Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni, and Tony’s just nurtured this horse, and he’s at the peak of his powers.
“It’s just great to be associated with him, and I feel very honoured.”
Bookmakers responded to the win by making Antino an $8 second favourite for the Cox Plate, behind Via Sistina at $2.50.
Bred by the Blossom Trading and Breeding Company, Antino is the seventh of nine foals for the unraced Mahamaya (Bahhare), a full-sister to New Zealand top-tier winner Hurrah and to Carlisle Bay, who raced in Hong Kong as Best Gift, and was a Listed winner and Group 1-placed.
After a patchy breeding record since Antino, Mahamaya missed last season. Her yearling filly by Tarzino (Tavistock) was passed in short of a $120,000 reserve at Inglis Premier this year.
Antino is one of 14 stakes winners and one of three Group 1 victors for Redwood, ranking second among his progeny behind triple elite victor Sharp ’N’ Smart.
The 19-year-old Redwood will stand his 14th season at New Zealand’s Westbury Stud this year for an unchanged fee of $10,000 (plus GST).