GOLLAN TICKS ANOTHER BOX IN THE 'OUTSTANDING' COLUMN AS HE SADDLES THE FIRST FOUR PAST THE POST

By Graham Potter | Sunday, November 8, 2020

Tony Gollan, who has dominated the trainer’s premiership in Brisbane in recent years, breaking several records along the way … ticked off another box in the outstanding column when he saddled the first four runners home in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap at Doomben.

Adding emphasis to the Gollan stable’s dominance of the race was that fact that the margin between the Gollan runners, from first to fourth, was only one-and-three-quarter lengths while the best of the rest finished a full two lengths behind that.

The Starspangledbanner filly Starosa led the Gollan charge home under a more than competent ride by Baylee Nothdurft, inching home on the line to take his record to three wins from eight starts.

Glitter Strip was oh so close behind that in second spot ahead of the remaining Gollan runners Palladas and Corvo.

Earlier in the day Gollan had watched his very talented filly Isotope have to settle for second place behind the also very useful Goldsborough after bombing the start and then getting caught too far back in the running to be able to seriously challenge the winner.

Isotope lost no admirers with the run though. She carried 59kg, 4kg more than the winner and was only beaten by just under a length in her first-up run following a five month layoff.

As jockey Baylee Norhdurft explained before the race, this race was part of a pathway designed to help Isotope progress to her Grand Final for this prep, which will only arrive on Magic Millions day in January.

Win, lose or draw … Saturday’s run was always going to serve that purpose for Isotope so it will remain ‘all systems go’ for this daughter of Deep Field who, of course, has that highly rated second placing to Rothfire in the Champagne Classic on her record.

She might have to improve her starting manners to go all the way, but there can be no denying her well above average ability and her progress in the next couple of months will be watched with a keen interest.

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