Read what the Jockeys and & Trainers said in the Toorak Handicap 2025.
Winning Trainer: Tony Gollan
Target race: “I’ve had one of those preparations where I’ve been beaten point one, point one. But I was never really worried, I’d always planned to be here today. I think those defeats got him in here at the right weight.”
“Mark executed his plan beautifully, he wanted to be aggressive that first hundred, negate that barrier. That’s what he did, and that was the winning tactic.”
“He had a plan; he had a fit horse, we got him in the right weight. Mark did the rest, you know? Horse and jockey, great combo, great to be back at Caulfield winning Group One races.”
“We bought him as a yearling; we’ve had some ownership changes along the way. It’s just terrific. 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, to win a group one with him; it’s just a great result.”
“There’s something in the water in Brisbane at the moment!”
Turned tables on Evaporate: “That’s why I didn’t walk away from Sandown feeling like I lost, to be honest. I thought the two narrow defeats, both by the Hayes boys, got me in two photos. It just got him in at the right weight. We had to overcome the wide gate, but Mark had an absolute plan straight away. what he wanted to do. The horse reacted beautifully to it. We got the job done today on the day that it mattered, the group one.
Progression: “We gelded at him at the end of his three-year-old year and that was the making of him. He’s a really busy horse at home, I just thought a trip down here in a new environment, training him away from his home base. He’s always had the potential and the ability to go to this level, and the trip away has made him, and he’s a really quality horse. I don’t see why he couldn’t be a weight for age horse in the future.”
By Snitzel out of Oaks winner: “The last mare that beat the mighty Winx, Gust Of Wind (is his dam). So he’s got a beautiful pedigree. I’ve got no doubt he’ll get further. But he was bloody good at a mile today.”
Winning Jockey: Mark Zahra
On the win: “Went out the gates, he was very quick out, which allowed him to get to the front and then just had him where he wanted to be. He gave a good kick off the corner, and he’s used to seeing Evaporate’s big head. This time, he was able to sort of be on the other side of the photo. It was a good win, well done to Tony.”
Confidence late: “I knew I had a really nice time in front, and when I kicked, I knew I kicked good, and he thinks a bit, and I switched 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 showed good fight the last fifty to dig in and win.
Beaten Jockeys:
Luke Nolen (Desert Lightning): (no comment available).
Jamie Mott (Pinstriped): “He’s gone really well but hasn’t had much luck. He raced in restricted room early in the race but he has finished off well.
Blake Shinn (Evaporate): “He was gallant in defeat. I think winning that Sandown Stakes against Transatlantic and getting the weight penalty was probably the difference. All-in-all we had a reasonable run, three-wide with cover, and with the norton-bit on today he raced a bit more truly and he went down fighting. I thought it was an admirable effort.”
Billy Egan (Feroce): “He probably wasn’t himself sitting outside the leader today.”
Ethan Brown (Sepals): “Copped a lot of interference this horse up the top of the hill. There were plenty of excuses and hopefully he comes through the run OK.”
James McDonald (Lazzura): “She ran well, got a lovely run. She zipped home but turning for home she was a little flat-footed.”
Damian Lane (Leica Lucy): “Good run. We had to concede a bit more ground that I would have liked from the wide draw than I would have liked. We were a touch flat around the corner but she was good late.”
Jamie Melham (Damask Rose): “Enormous run. She’s been knocking on the door for a while this horse and she just needs some luck.”
Craig Williams (Athanatos): “This horse acquitted himself really well. Full credit to Phillip Stokes and his team in preparing him for this really tough assignment for him. He had a nice gate which he was able to utalise, but they were just too strong for him. I feel he’s still got some more to come.”
