Gollan eyeing three in a row with Baller in Healy Stakes
Tony Gollan’s reborn Baller is primed to make it three straight victories when he runs in the Group 3 Healy Stakes over 1200m at Eagle Farm this Saturday.
The five-year-old gelding has had just the two starts for Queensland’s leading trainer since arriving from the Chris Waller stable, posting dominant wins in both the Listed Goldmarket on the Gold Coast and the Group 2 Moreton Cup at this track and distance on June 5th.
The son of High Chapparal had gone 602 days without a victory when he moved north, but his return to winning form came as no surprise to Gollan.
“He’s going super; I seen a bit of him when Chris (Waller) had him here in the summer,” Gollan told SEN on Tuesday.
“He’s always been a nice horse and we’ve just been lucky enough that he’s really hit his straps this carnival for us.
“I obviously thought enough of him to run him at the Gold Coast in the Listed race straight away, so he’s obviously shown me a little bit, but he certainly surprised me the way he picked up from that into the Moreton Cup and just how he let go at Eagle Farm.
“I’ve been really happy with the horse and it’s certainly been a pleasant surprise.”
Baller’s recent win at Group 2 level saw him settle towards the rear of the field on the inside of runners, and despite most winners coming wide at Eagle Farm that day, Glen Boss steered the strong five-year-old home along the rails to win by 2.25 lengths over Zaniah and Wisdom Of Water.
While there was clear improvement between his first-up and second-up runs, Gollan confirmed that Baller was in good condition heading into Saturday’s Healy Stakes.
“He won really well there (Moreton Cup)”, he continued.
“I’d felt he had improved off the Gold Coast and I’d always felt that he had improvement in him, so it didn’t surprise me when he did improve, but the amount of improvement in him and that we saw at Eagle Farm was pretty good.
“When a horse can let go like that on the surface there, you certainly have good confidence going back to it like we are this Saturday.
“I’m pretty happy where he’s at now to be honest; I don’t think he’s got to improve much off what he did the other day … he’s done three pieces of work well within hand and he just feels good and looks good the horse.”
After snagging his third Eye Liner Stakes on Saturday at Ipswich with Snitch, Gollan now has his sights set on some other regional feature races, namely the Ramornie Handicap at Grafton on July 7th.
“Outback Barbie … her last run will be at Grafton in the Ramornie before she heads off to be a mum, provided I’m happy with her obviously for the rest of this week,” he said.
“And Garibaldi will miss (the Healy Stakes), we decided to stay away from the Healy with him and head to the Ramornie, a race that sort of sets up well for a horse like Garibaldi; plenty of speed, sit of them and hopefully run on.
“A couple of nice horses headed down there.”
Baller is currently the $4.50 all-in favourite at Sportsbet.com.au for the Healy Stakes.