Quality five-year-old ANTINO can bounce back from a last-start defeat in Saturday’s $2 million Five Diamonds over 1800m at Rosehill Racecourse, Australia.
The Tony Gollan-trained gelding is a nine-time winner from 13 starts and has been an honest performer throughout the Spring Carnival in Melbourne. He was unlucky, finishing fourth in the first-up Listed Sofitel Stakes in mid-September, before bouncing back with a second-up win in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes. In his third run back, the Group 1 Toorak Handicap, ANTINO charged home late, securing a second-place finish from a wide draw. He followed up with another second-place finish in the Group 2 Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley.
Arguably, he should have won that race if not for being held up from the 500m mark until passing the 200m mark, but such is the luck for many runners around the unforgiving Moonee Valley circuit. On Saturday, he should get all the favours to notch up another win.
All aboard the Shangri La Express
Impressive debut winner SHANGRI LA EXPRESS can continue his winning ways in the $1 million Golden Gift over 1100m at Rosehill Racecourse, Australia on Saturday.
Two-year-old colt SHANGRI LA EXPRESS, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, debuted with a smart all-the-way win at Randwick towards the end of October, leaving a lasting impression. Showing tremendous gate speed, SHANGRI LA EXPRESS never gave his rivals a look in over the 1000m journey and cruised away for an easy 2.5-length victory.
SHANGRI LA EXPRESS will have to be good to overcome a wide draw this week, but clearly looks a horse on the rise and with better things to come.
