Top trainers seldom rest on their laurels. Instead, the best continue to raise the bar, irrespective of already being in a very comfortable position, and Tony Gollan, who has secured his thirteenth successive Brisbane Trainer’s Premiership this season is no exception.
Taken in terms of pure statistics, Gollan tries to beat his previous best for the season … and, with a month of the season left to play out, he is right on track to achieve a significant double goal of, not only lifting his season winners total above that of his 2024/25 season’s haul, but also taking that number to 200 winners for the first time. (He currently sits on 192 winners).
“We want to get to 200 winners. I’ll be disappointed if we don’t get to 200. It’s the end of June now, so we’ve got a month to get eight winners,” said Gollan.
“I’ll be very proud of the fact if we can get it … but we are not there yet. We are in the nervous nineties.”
But Gollan’s stable footprint is not all about numbers.
Expansion is the name of the game … and those who watched the opening race at Royal Ascot on the Thursday night … the Chesham Stakes … would have got a taste of what that expansion looks like for the Gollan yard.
They would have spotted a runner in the distinctive colours of First Light Racing, racing towards the rear of the field in the early part before flashing home late to secure a fast finishing second place behind Nola Soul.
That horse was On Just terms, a son of Justify who was on debut for trainer Jospeh O’Brien. A quick glance at the details of On Just Terms showed that he is owned by Gollan Racing/First Light Racing/Taylor, a detail Gollan was happy to explain.
“Yeah, he’s a very exciting colt. It’s part of a syndicate we are involved in with First Light and Joseph O’Brien,” said Gollan.
“It’s the kind of thing we are looking to do more of and get involved over there. He (On Just Terms) will be there for a little while and then come out here to us.
“You know, it is a world game. We want to be part of that … which gives our owners exposure to a great trainer in Europe … obviously in Joseph … and to have some nice horses over there.
‘I wasn’t at Royal Ascot this year. I may go over if he gets to the Goodwood … I’m not sure yet … but I will definitely go over and see the horse at some stage in the next twelve months.
“It’s just a really cool arrangement … and it is something we are trying to grow.
“It adds another level of excitement … and that’s what the game is about isn’t it!”
