Tony Gollan had higher expectations of race favourite Antino to earn the golden ticket into the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in June but it was outsider and stablemate Tick Tock Queen who prevailed in The Gateway (1400m) on Saturday.
While Antino looked to have pinched a winning break at the 150 metre mark, Tick Tock Queen at $71 showed strong late speed to reel in the $2.90 favourite along with the Chris Meagher-trained Arentee ($8.50).
Tick Tock Queen scored by a nose margin over Arentee with Antino less than half-a-length away in third.
“I didn’t even know it was my horse coming late,” Gollan said.
“She was awesome.”
Ridden byKyle Wilson-Taylor , Tick Tock Queen was taken towards the rear of the field after starting from barrier nine.
“I said to Kyle to take the medicine and go back,” Gollan added.
“Just try and get through them and make one dash.
“I know the ability she’s got and we saw her in a low-grade race at Doomben the other day and she just never got out.”
Tick Tock Queen was a $10,000 purchase at the 2020 Melbourne VOBIS Gold Sale and later came into Gollan’s care via Ciaron Maher and Dave Eustace’s bloodstock expert, Will Bourne.
“She’s been unreal and now in a Stradbroke with a very light weight,” Gollan said of the four-year-old mare.”
Of Antino, Gollan was still pleased with the effort.
“Antino lost no admirers today with the amount of work he had to do along the back (of the course),” Gollan said.
“He was really brave in defeat.”