An eye-catching set of trials at Deagon on Tuesday morning will feature some of Queensland’s top gallopers, with Antino set to make his first public appearance ahead of an autumn campaign aimed at Sydney.
Trainer Tony Gollan has left no stone unturned since the seven-year-old finished last in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) last spring, a run that came completely out of character for the multiple stakes winner.
Gollan said extensive investigations following that run had given him confidence Antino has returned in top order.
“I’m very happy with him,” Gollan said.
“I did bone scans and had all sorts of tests done, x-rayed all his joints everywhere and there was nothing that we didn’t know.
“He’s got a bit of wear and tear but there are no significant injuries.
“He seems as good or better than where he was last year.”
The gelding is expected to follow a similar path to last season, with a tilt at the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) in April firmly on the radar.
Antino will trial over 1050 metres in the third heat at Deagon, alongside Magic Millions Snippets winner Zarastro.
“It will be a soft trial,” Gollan said.
“He’ll be at the back and probably won’t trouble the scorer just following them around.
“Then he’ll have another one a couple of weeks later and then hopefully head to Sydney for his first-up run.”
Currently rated at $11 for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Antino remains prominent in early markets across leading Australian betting sites.
“Taking out the Cox Plate run, his elite level form was up there in the spring,” Gollan said.
“If I want to drop the bar or space him out, I can look at saving him for the Doomben Cup as well.”
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