By Alex Nolan
Premier Metropolitan trainer Tony Gollan's climb up the premiership ladder began in earnest at Doomben as Galtero gave the Eagle Farm horseman Saturday treble in the Benchmark 80 Handicap.
It was also a fourth win on the bounce for the promising Snitzel gelding, who held off a wall of challengers over the final furlong to win at his first attempt over 2000m.
Gollan stable representative Holly Williams said the horse had thrived over the past week, giving her plenty of confidence ahead of today's assignment.
And, a textbook frontrunning Jim Byrne ride completed the job.
"We were hoping to get a little bit of cover and we knew we'd be up there and abouts but Jim did a wonderful job rating him," she said.
Williams said the stable would wait to see how Galtero pulled up after today before making any decisions about where he'd head next.
Despite a slow start to the metropolitan season by Gollan stable standards, the treble has lifted him to equal third on the premiership alongside Steve O'Dea but still behind Toby Edmonds (13) and Rob Heathcote (17).
"He should be pretty happy," Williams said of her boss, who was in Sydney with sprint Ef Troop, which finished down the track in the Brian Crowley.