Brisbane galloper Transatlantic delivered a gutsy performance to claim the 2025 Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield on Guineas Day, handing trainer Tony Gollan consecutive wins in the prestigious mile event.
2025 Toorak Handicap winner Transatlantic handed trainer Tony Gollan back-to-back wins in the Guineas Day event. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The five-year-old son of Snitzel ($10) reversed the Sandown Stakes result, holding off a fast-finishing Evaporate to win narrowly in the $1 million contest.
Mark Zahra, who partnered Transatlantic in that narrow defeat last start, stuck solid and produced a bold front-running ride from barrier nine.
The gelding jumped cleanly, rolled forward, and controlled the tempo throughout the 1600m, securing his maiden Group 1 win at just his second attempt at elite level.
His previous top-tier run was a ninth in the Stradbroke Handicap behind The Everest-bound War Machine.
The Sandown Stakes form proved spot-on, with Transatlantic and Evaporate flipping the quinella in the Toorak.
Rounding out the trifecta was Chris Waller’s NZ Oaks winner Leica Lucy, who stormed home late in just her second Australian start.
Zahra was full of praise for the winner and the execution of the plan.
“Went out the gates, he was very quick out, which allowed him to get to the front and then just had him where he wanted to be,” he said.
“He gave a good kick off the corner, and he’s used to seeing Evaporate’s big head.
“This time, he was able to sort of be on the other side of the photo.
“It was a good win, well done to Tony.
“I knew I had a really nice time in front, and when I kicked, I knew I kicked good, and he thinks a bit, and I switched to the left, and I was hoping I wouldn’t see anyone coming at me late.
“Then I knew it was Evaporate, I didn’t have to look and showed good fight the last fifty to dig in and win.”
Gollan, who won the race last year with Antino, was thrilled with the result and Zahra’s ride.
“Mark executed his plan beautifully, he wanted to be aggressive that first hundred, negate that barrier,” Gollan said.
“That’s what he did, and that was the winning tactic.
“He had a plan; he had a fit horse; we got him in the right weight. Mark did the rest, you know?
“Horse and jockey, great combo, great to be back at Caulfield winning Group 1 races.
“He’s been a nice horse to get going, to win a Group 1 with him; it’s just a great result.
“There’s something in the water in Brisbane at the moment!”
The win was especially satisfying for Gollan after two narrow defeats earlier in the prep, including the photo finish loss to Evaporate.
“That’s why I didn’t walk away from Sandown feeling like I lost, to be honest,” he said.
“I thought the two narrow defeats, both by the Hayes boys, got me in two photos.
“It just got him in at the right weight (56.5kg).
“We had to overcome the wide gate, but Mark had an absolute plan straight away what he wanted to do.
“The horse reacted beautifully to it. We got the job done today on the day that it mattered, the Group 1.”
Evaporate was brave in defeat, racing three-wide with cover and finishing strongly.
Jockey Blake Shinn believed the weight swing was telling.
“He was gallant in defeat,” he said.
“I think winning that Sandown Stakes against Transatlantic and getting the weight penalty was probably the difference.
“All-in-all we had a reasonable run, three-wide with cover, and with the norton-bit on today he raced a bit more truly and he went down fighting.
“I thought it was an admirable effort.”
The shock of the race was Sepals, winner of the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, who finished last after encountering interference.
“Copped a lot of interference this horse up the top of the hill,” said jockey Ethan Brown.
“There were plenty of excuses and hopefully he comes through the run OK.”
Looking ahead, Transatlantic could be aimed at the $3 million Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival, with Gollan confident the horse will stay.
“The last mare that beat the mighty Winx, Gust Of Wind (is his dam),” he said.
“So, he’s got a beautiful pedigree.
“I’ve got no doubt he’ll get further, but he was bloody good at a mile today.”
2025 Toorak Handicap Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | TRANSATLANTIC | Tony Gollan | Mark Zahra | 9 | 56.5kg | $10 | ||
| 2 | 3 | EVAPORATE (NZ) | Ben, Will & JD Hayes | Blake Shinn | 0.15L | 6 | 58kg | $6 | |
| 3 | 9 | LEICA LUCY (NZ) | Chris Waller | Damian Lane | 1.4L | 10 | 54.5kg | $7.50 | |
| 4 | 11 | ATHANATOS | Phillip Stokes | Craig Williams | 1.8L | 1 | 52kg | $19 | |
| 5 | 7 | LAZZURA | Chris Waller | James McDonald | 3.05L | 5 | 56kg | $7 | |
| 6 | 10 | DAMASK ROSE (NZ) | Mark Walker | Ms Jamie Melham | 3.45L | 3 | 54kg | $16 | |
| 7 | 2 | PINSTRIPED | Enver Jusufovic | Jamie Mott | 4.2L | 2 | 58.5kg | $51 | |
| 8 | 4 | FEROCE (NZ) | Dominic Sutton | Billy Egan | 4.22L | 8 | 58kg | $13 | |
| 9 | 1 | DESERT LIGHTNING (NZ) | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | Luke Nolen | 4.37L | 7 | 59kg | $41 | |
| 10 | 5 | SEPALS | Cliff Brown | Ethan Brown | 9.62L | 4 | 57kg | $2.50F | |
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