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Desperately unlucky in his southern campaign through the back end of 2023, Tony Gollan’s boom galloper Antino has been backed to finally taste Group 1 glory during the upcoming Queensland Racing Carnival.
Leading Sunshine Coast conditioner David Vandyke and top local jockeys Angela Jones and Kyle Wilson-Taylor identified Tony Gollan's gelding when opinions were canvassed at the Deagon trials last month.
Antino was a popular answer when the question was posed: Name a Queensland horse that will win a Group 1 during the upcoming carnival and why?
The five-year-old was forced to settle for second in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap and Group 2 Crystal Mile in Melbourne through October before finishing down the track in the feature Five Diamonds in Sydney the following month.
Antino has trialed twice this year as the champion trainer prepares his promising galloper for a winter assault of 2024.
Vandyke knows exactly what it takes to claim a Group 1 in the Sunshine State and has backed Antino to be amongst the elite level winners this year.
"He is probably the Queensland horse to follow during the winter carnival," Vandyke said.
"He was unlucky to not win the Toorak and is with a good trainer in Gollan. He is a smart horse with nine wins from 14 starts."
The Gollan camp have declared Queensland's show-piece event – the Stradbroke Handicap – is Antino's aim this campaign.
He is also likely to line-up in the Group 2 Victory Stakes and Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup on the path towards the Stradbroke.
Gollan stable hoop Jones has her fingers crossed Antino can tick off the Group 1 box soon.
"He is due," Jones said.
Jones' fiancé Wilson-Taylor agrees.
"He was obviously unlucky in getting beaten in Melbourne and I think he will come back a much more seasoned galloper," Wilson-Taylor said.
"I think he will take on the Queensland horses in the carnival and probably be too good."
It is a big week for Wilson-Taylor as he heads to Ascot in Western Australia to ride in the rich Quokka slot race, booked to partner Waitak for Kiwi co-trainers Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott.
Another Gollan-prepared runner that has been tipped for carnival glory is Comrade Rosa.
Top Brisbane hoop Ryan Maloney – who is a regular on Gollan's horses – thinks Comrade Rosa can aim up against the best.
Like stable mate Antino, Comrade Rosa trialled in the middle of April as the mare prepares for her campaign.
Comrade Rosa scored in the Group 2 Dane Ripper in the middle of June last year before finishing just under two lengths behind the winner in the Tatt's Tiara at the highest level at her next run.
"She has been working her way through the grades nicely since she came up to Queensland," Maloney said.
"I think a Stradbroke Handicap - down in the weights - certainly looks ideal for her."
Comrade Rosa and Antino have been competitive in Group races for some time but Gold Coast trainer Peter Robl is thinking outside the square when it comes to his selection.
Toby Edmonds' Barassi was a striking winner of the lucrative Magic Millions Maiden Plate earlier this year and Robl thinks the entire can climb the ladder.
"He won the week before Magic Millions day in a maiden," Robl said.
"He won like a superstar and if he continues on an uphill spiral then I think he has the potential to get to a Group 1 race."
Barassi trialled nicely on the Polytrack at Aquis Park in late March following a spell.
Stuart Kendrick's Can't Recall One and Mishani Aloha - from the Les Ross team - were other gallopers who were tossed up as potential Group 1 champions.
Former jockey Shane Scriven picked one from left field and believes five-time career winner Viminele could put his name up in lights during the carnival.
The son of Spill The Beans was last at the races in the Gold Jewel in early March where he finished fifth while being in the market on that occasion.
"It might be aiming a bit high but my good mate Lindsay Gough has got a nice horse coming through the grades," Scriven said.
"Viminele is a nice horse and he will probably be aiming at something like the Stradbroke Handicap – it might be a bit soon for him – but he will win a nice race leading up to those and it will hopefully be a Group race."
Staged over 10 action-packed weeks, more than $28 million in prize money will go on the line in the 2024 Queensland Racing Carnival, including nine million-dollar races and 55 black-type features across 11 race meetings.
It all kicks-off early next month.
