By Jordan Gerrans
Premier Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan has had his fair share of interests over the border of late.
Krone’s back-to-back Group level wins in Sydney, stablemate Jonker finishing top three in the Group 1 Galaxy late last month, as well as Isotope’s Listed triumph at Rosehill on the same day.
Those are on top of Gollan’s purchases at the 2021 Australian Easter Yearling Sale this week, with another run for Isotope to come next Saturday afternoon in the Group 2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint over 1200 metres.
Gollan - who has trained 123 winners this season and sits atop the Queensland trainer’s premiership again - is smiling about the way Isotope came through her return Darby Munro Stakes effort after infamously losing her rider on Magic Millions day earlier this year.
“Tracking along beautifully is Isotope, I could not be more pleased with her,” Gollan said.
“I was in Sydney earlier this week and I watched her work on Tuesday morning at Randwick and she is ticking over lovely.
“Hopefully everything can go to plan next Saturday, she can draw a nice low draw and she can get a pleasant run.
“She drops to 54.5 kilos from her last start and is a better filly going into this second-up than what she was the other day first-up.
"Coming off the 10 week break, she has trained on beautifully.”
Leading Brisbane hoop Ryan Maloney has been Isotope’s partner in her last six either races or trials and he will retain the ride for the upcoming Arrowfied.
There was some thought to putting top Sydney rider Tim Clark on Isotope, as he has done the job for the Gollan team of late in NSW, but Maloney has decided to work his way down to 54.5kg before next Saturday to be able to ride the impressive three-year-old filly.
“Ryan has committed to the weight and is watching his diet and is working hard at it,” Gollan said.
“He will do anything he can to ride her and has made a commitment to myself and Black Soil to make the weight and make it well - not just get there.
“He will not let me down; he will do everything he can to do that.
“He is cool under pressure and he is the right guy for this filly.”
Looking past the Group 2 Arrowfield Sprint at Randwick on April 17, Gollan says Isotope is likely to have a break and then plan towards the spring carnival, declaring she is unlikely to head back to Brisbane any time soon.