By Glenn Davis
As the halfway mark of the season approaches, premier trainer Tony Gollan isn’t getting carried away with the prospect of a fifth straight Brisbane trainers’ premiership.
Gollan is a runaway leader with a 19 win lead over second placed Toby Edmonds but knows anything can happen in the final six months of the season.
“The second half is always the hardest with the Brisbane winter carnival coming up,” Gollan said.
“I’ve won four premierships. I broke Bruce McLachlan’s record in my second year and broke it again the following year but we didn’t have the same luck last year.”
Gollan was the king of the Queensland summer with his runners earning nearly $1 million on Magic Millions day as well as picking up a $50,000 bonus for being the leading trainer in the Summer Crown race series.
Gollan is confident his good fortune can continue when he saddles up Most Important and Brazen Moss in the Listed Sunshine Coast Cup (1400m) on Saturday.
Most Important is coming off a last start fourth to summer discovery Care To Think in the Magic Millions Cup at the Gold Coast on January 13 while Brazen Moss finished sixth in the Listed Bernborough Handicap at Doomben last month.
“I don’t think I’ll run I’m A Rippa and I’ll save him for another day,” Gollan said.
“Most Important’s run in the Magic Millions Cup was quite pleasing and it was a better run than in last year’s Cup.
“He got caught out of his ground but he’s in good form although he’s probably paying for it with the weight now.
“He’s won at the Sunshine Coast which is a plus so you might see him back there in the winter for the Glasshouse Handicap.”
Gollan also rates Brazen Moss a strong chance after being beaten four lengths by Someday in the Bernborough Handicap at Doomben.
“He’s going well but he’s not a lover of Doomben,” he said.
“He’ll relish the bigger track at Caloundra and the good gate.”
Gollan won’t have a big interstate representation this year although he’s excited by the prospect of last start winner Snicki Minaj who will run in the Inglis Classic at Warwick Farm in a fortnight.
“I won’t have a big team going away this year other than Snicki Minaj for the Inglis Classic,” he said.
“You might see Khalama go away as a travelling companion with her to Sydney and if she runs well enough she might go on to a Listed race at Flemington.”
Racing Queensland webnews January 25