Awesome Antino (NZ) Shines Spotlight on Ready to Run Sale

Two new Group One-winning graduates have put NZB’s Ready to Run Sale up in bright lights, just a few weeks out from the 2024 edition of the world’s leading sale of two-year-olds.

A week after Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock) stormed home to win the A$1.5m Group One Epsom Handicap (1600m) in Sydney, fellow Ready to Run Sale graduate Antino (NZ) (Redwood) followed suit on Saturday with a stunning six-and-a-half-length demolition in the A$1m Group One Hyland Race Colours Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield.

Antino was bought for only $27,000 from the 2020 Ready to Run Sale. He has now had 21 starts for 11 wins, five placings and A$1.67m in stakes.

The Tony Gollan-trained gelding has often given the impression that he was a Group One winner in waiting. He started his career with eight wins from his first nine starts in his home state of Queensland, then ventured to Melbourne and won the Group Three Sandown Stakes (1500m) and finished an unlucky second in the 2023 edition of the Toorak.

Antino won the Group Two Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm during this year’s Queensland Winter Carnival, then returned to Melbourne this spring and ran fourth in the Group One Memsie Stakes (1400m), third in the Group One Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and third in the Group Two Feehan Stakes (1600m).

Saturday was finally Antino’s day in the Group One sun, and he stole the show in scintillating style.

After initially settling at the tail of the field, jockey Blake Shinn made a bold mid-race move to swoop around the field and hit the lead well before the home turn.

Antino just kept rolling from there, opening up a commanding lead that his rivals never had a hope of overcoming.

“He was brilliant, he was awesome, he’ s a really good horse,” trainer Tony Gollan said. “He’s been destined to win a Group One, and it’s just been a matter of when. To win it like that was amazing.

“It was so close in this race last year, and I thought he was just a run short. This year I knew I had him as good as we’ve ever had him. It was just a matter of luck on the day, and he took that into his own hands and got the job done.

“We were back last early and I thought we were in a lot of trouble but what a masterful ride by Blake. No matter where we landed today, we just wanted to travel and then be able to use that long, sustained run and that’s what he did. He took off a bit early on him but he can sustain a good gallop for a good while, what a dominant display.

“We could look at races like Sir Rupert Clarke (Group One, 1400m) now, and he could go to Hong Kong. I’ll just play it by ear. We’ll get home and let the dust settle next week, and you know the horse is at the peak of his powers now. It’s just a matter of holding him in that condition.”

The 2024 Ready to Run Sale will take place at Karaka on 20 and 21 November, with selling starting at 11am each day. Breeze Ups will be held at Te Rapa Racecourse on 21 and 22 October.

Purchaser	New Balance Racing (Hong Kong)
Breeding	Redwood – Mahamaya
Sale	Lot 285, 2020 Ready to Run Sale, $27,000
Bred by	Blossom Trading & Breeding Company Ltd