With the AFL and NRL titles already in the bag, Queensland added the Toorak Handicap to its spring booty when Transatlantic scored a thrilling win in Saturday’s $1 million Group 1 at Caulfield.
The five-year-old son of Snitzel provided The Sunshine State’s premier Tony Gollan with a second-straight win in the 1600-metre event following Antino’s six-and-a-half-length romp in last year’s edition.
There was no such domination by Transatlantic, who scored by a short-head over Evaporate, and Gollan was delighted to see the gelding reverse the result of their meeting at Sandown while the Lions were marching towards premiership success on September 27 and land a big win.
“We bought him as a yearling, we’ve had some ownership changes along the way, (but) it’s just terrific,” Gollan said of Transatlantic, who was no won seven of 20 starts and a tick over $1.3 million.
“We’ve had a bunch in and out of him, and it’s just a great story, really. He’s been a nice horse to get going and to win a Group 1 with him, it’s just a great result.”
“There’s something in the water in Brisbane at the moment.”
Gollan is not the only Queenslander to win back-to-back editions in recent years with Robert Heathcote winning it in 2012 and 2013 with Solzhenitsyn.
A positive ride from Mark Zahra was a key to Transatlantic’s success. Zahra pushed forward from his wide gate to find the lead on the $10 chance and controlled the tempo in the middle stages, which afforded him the opportunity to give a kick in the home straight.
Zahra denied Blake Shinn, rider of Evaporate ($6), back-to-back wins in the race after Shinn was successful aboard Antino last year.
Leica Lucy ($7.50) stormed home from the rear to finish third, 1-1/4 lengths astern Evaporate, while Sepals, the $2.50 favourite, was caught in traffic for much of the race and failed to beat a runner home.
“I knew I had a really nice time in front, and when I kicked, I knew I kicked good,” Zahra said after his first Toorak Handicap success.
“He thinks a bit, and I switched (the whip) to the left, and I was hoping I wouldn’t see anyone coming at me late. Then I knew it was Evaporate – I didn’t have to look – and he showed good fight the last 50 to dig in and win.”
