GOLLAN'S STRANGLEHOLD JUST GOT THAT BIT TIGHTER

By Graham Potter | Friday, July 31, 2026

The Premiership standings for the 2025/26 racing season confirm that the stranglehold of the biggest stable in Queensland has just got that little bit tighter.

And we are not even talking about a thirteenth successive Brisbane Metropolitan Trainer’s Premiership for Tony Gollan … or his stable breaking through the magical 200 season winners mark for the first time, rather that spread is underlined by the additional Premierships that the stable has secured this season.

Most notable of these is the Queensland Provincial Trainers’ Premiership … a title Gollan last landing in the 2011/12 season. In fairness, two sets of circumstances … one by design, one by chance … did help Gollan take out this title.

The first was the establishment of a Gold Coast Provincial base by Gollan. The second was the retirement of trainer Mark Currie who departed the scene with a full four months of the season left to run, but who only went down to Gollan by two winners.

But a Premiership is a Premiership … and this one was Gollan’s.

As was the Gold Coast Trainer’s Premiership … Gollan had previously won the Gold Coast title in 2020/21 … with Gollan deposing Adam Campton for this season’s honour by a four win margin … AND the Ipswich Trainers’ Premiership where Gollan held an eight win advantage at the line in a Premiership where he has had multiple successes over the years.

It is true to say that in this case size does make a difference, but it is only by way of quality management practises and all around horse handling ability … from understanding their individual characters and training track requirements, to race placement, to jockey selection … that a big stable number-wise becomes a big winner results-wise, and Gollan, backed by good staff, has perfected that art.

Gollan saddled 945 metropolitan runners and 272 provincial runners … that’s 1217 for the season … an amazing average of over 100 runners a month.

To have a winning strike-rate of 15.5 percent at metropolitan level and 21.1 percent at provincial level with that number of runners, particularly when the stable often has two or three starters in a race is a very solid return.

For all of that, while Gollan does celebrate his stable’s season’s results, the overriding reason for Gollan’s continued success is his hunger for more winners, motivated by the fact that he always feels there is room for improvement and he never ceases chasing that goal.

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