SHINN AND ANTINO - A FORMIDABLE COMBINATION

By Darren Winningham | Thursday, November 14, 2024

For the first time in many years Australia will be represented in the pinnacle of Hong Kong racing with a runner in the HK$36 million LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (Group 1).

What is even more exciting is a runner from the state of Queensland – my home city!

Premier Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan will venture to Hong Kong for the first time with his runner Antino – who has amassed prize money of AUD$2.2 million. He could well triple this prize money if he can win this race.

Gollan has booked multiple Group 1 winning jockey Blake Shinn to partner the six-year-old gelding. Shinn is a seasoned performer in Hong Kong having won Group 1 races at Sha Tin.

Shinn’s last Group 1 winners in Hong Kong were in 2022 … prior to him returning to Australia … and they came aboard Russian Emperor who won the Hong Kong Gold Cup (Group 1) and the Champions & Chater Cup (Group 1).

Shinn missed out on riding Antino at his last start in the Group 1 Champions Mile, due to a suspension, where Antino was narrowly defeated by Mr. Brightside.

In Antino’s previous start, Shinn rode him to a dominant win in the Group 1 Toorak Stakes at Caulfield, taking off at the 800m in a daring ride before going on to win by 6.5 lengths.

With the Hong Kong runners not really having a dominant miler presently with the retirement of their champion miler Golden Sixty, who has dominated this race in recent years winning it in 2020, 2021 and 2023, the field appears very open in 2024.

The Japanese always seem to throw up some chances and then again, the European contingent also looks solid for this year’s race, so it will be a tough task for Antino in what looks likely to be a very open field.

One thing for sure, if Antino travels well to Hong Kong and settles in the amazing facilities for the international runners he will be super competitive on the biggest day in Hong Kong racing.

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