Trainer Anton Golino will hold a strong hand when the gates open for the $50,000 Group 1 trotting final for two-year-old fillies.
The Cardigan trainer’s fillies Nieta and Sval Queen won their Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic heats at Shepparton last Wednesday, booking qualification for the May 21 final at Tabcorp Park Melton.
Both were debutants for Pat Driscoll’s Yabby Dam Farms, whose investment in trots racing continues to garner great dividends.
Golino, who trains exclusively for Driscoll, said Wednesday night’s results were pleasing after the fillies met their first race-day test. “You can never be overly confident with two-year-old trotters,” Golino said.
That included Nieta, who started the first heat a short-price and he said while she had “definitely shown she can go a little bit, she is obviously still learning the caper”.
“I thought it pretty brave taking the $1.70 for a two-year-old trotter at her first start.”
But in Greg Sugars’ calm hands Nieta never missed a beat, finding the front from barrier one and finding separation when the moment arrived.
“(Greg) let her come out of the gate on her own, she had an easy middle half and she ran it out on her own stead,” Golino said. “She won it fairly handy. It was a good way to start.”
The task was greater for Sval Queen in heat two, with Anthony Butt having to punch the breeze for much of the running.
“Sval Queen did it tough. She had to sit in the death seat the trip and the fact that she could do that made me real happy with her.”
From cover, favourite Illawong Shimmer loomed up late but Sval Queen had the answers to win by 2.2m and reward her trainer’s faith.
“Nieta’s probably a little bit more talented, but Sval Queen has better manners,” he said. “She’s a readymade racehorse and has been from day one. I am probably more confident with Sval Queen if anything. She was impressive, it was very workmanlike.”
The promising fillies will only enhance owner Driscoll’s dominance in the category.
“Pat’s very passionate, hard working and does a lot of research on pedigrees,” Golino said. “He’s choosing the right stallions, having gone down the path of French stallions, and is seeing a lot of benefit from that. He deserves all the success he gets.”
Michael Howard