Tony Gollan goes one better in 2016
Premiership winner Tony Gollan believes breaking his own metropolitan record is an honour which can be shared by all Eagle Farm based trainers.
Gollan had his 79.5th winner of the season when Hi I’m Back won at Doomben on Wednesday which passed his previous record of 79 set last season.
He is on holiday in Bali but said, by phone after the milestone, it was especially satisfying because of the problems facing Eagle Farm trainers this season.
For a large part of the season Eagle Farm’s training facilities have been severely curtailed by renovation work being undertaken at the course.
“Any year where you can train more winners than the previous year is a good one. But the fact we have all had to overcome problems and four of the top five trainers on the premiership are Eagle Farm based is a credit to everyone,” Gollan said.
“I intend to have an even better next 12 months as I have a lot of young horses coming through.”
Apprentice Brooke Ainsworth is unlikely to ever forget her first Doomben win on Hidden Light ($2.30) in the Clipsal and Schneider 2YO Handicap (1050m).
Hidden Light showed a lot of pace to lead but wanted to hang in the straight, giving Ainsworth an uncomfortable ride.
After the line Hidden Light ditched Ainsworth who had a harmless tumble and was able to walk back to scale.
“She skidded off and tossed me but thankfully both of us were unharmed,” Ainsworth said.
But the dramas didn’t end there when Tiffani Brooker on runner-up Crazy Pops ($8) protested alleging interference in the final 200m.
Stewards found that while Hidden Light did move out and the two horses did not touch.
“I have won a metropolitan class race at Ipswich but this is my first winner at Doomben,” said Ainsworth who has ridden 44 winners on all tracks this season.
The last horse owned by the late racecaller Wayne Wilson, Splendid Stryker ($9), won carrying his colours in the Haymans Plate (1350m).
It completed a good week for trainer Kelly Schweida who won the Group One Tatts Tiara with Miss Cover Girl and the Rockhampton cup with Ruling Force.
“My wife Vera took Wayne’s share in Splendid Stryker and I left it racing in his colours,” Schweida said.
Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Sheila Laxon and her partner John Symons continued their good Queensland campaign when Denominator won the CNW Hcp (2200m).
It was the sixth winner for the Victorian based combination since they brought a team to Queensland in early May.