Isotope and Jonker primed for Sydney assault

By Glenn Davis

Tony Gollan fears Sydney’s rain deluge could rob him of a second Group 1 in a week but is buoyed by his chances at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Gollan won last week’s Group 1 Coolmore Classic at Randwick with Krone, and is chasing another win at the highest level with Jonker in the Group 1 Galaxy at Rosehill.

The Galaxy will be run over 1100 metres but the Rosehill track is already well into the heavy range with more rain forecast.

The Galaxy holds fond memories for Gollan, who won his first ever Group 1 with Temple Of Boom in 2012.

Gollan also has star three-year-old Isotope making her return in the Listed Darby Munro over 1200 metres.

Isotope was a short-priced favourite in the $2 million Magic Millions Guineas when she clipped the heels of rival Away Game, dislodging jockey Ryan Maloney as she loomed up as a likely winner.

Gutted by the incident, Gollan has sent Isotope to Sydney and is aiming for the Group 2 Arrowfield Stales at Randwick on the second day of The Championships.

“I’m really happy with both Jonker and Isotope but the rain is a concern,” Gollan said.

“Jonker is going super but he doesn’t like the wet and is better on top of the ground.”

Rosehill is rated heavy, while it’s slow at Eagle Farm following several days of rain.   

Gollan has a team of four running at Eagle Farm and gave punters a lead by naming Chico Milagro as the stable’s best hope.

Chico Milagro will be ridden by Michael Rodd in the Benchmark 80 Handicap over 1200 metres.

Chico Milagro has won three of his 10 starts and is coming off a first-up third to stablemate Leadership Spill in a 1050-metre Class 3 at the Sunshine Coast on February 13.

“We’ve got a good team going around at Eagle Farm and they all should run well,” Gollan said.

“Chico Milagro is probably our best.

“It was a really good run first-up and he’s taken a lot of improvement since then.”

Gollan said the Eagle Farm track would also suit Invincible Al in the Open Handicap over 1200 metres.

“Invincible Al loves Eagle Farm but he’s gone up a fair bit in the weights to 58kgs,” Gollan said.

Invincible Al will again be ridden by Ben Thompson who guided the seven-year-old to a narrow win over 1000 metres at Eagle Farm last start.

A winner of nine of 51 starts, Invincible Al was on the minimum with 54kgs when successful last start and rises four kilograms.

Gollan’s other runners are Abracadazzle in the QTIS Three-Year-Old Handicap (1600m) and All Important in the Benchmark 70 Handicap (1300m).