3 minute read
Trainer Tony Gollan isn’t taking any particular credit for the picket fence Group 1 winning mare Krone is building but can see no reason why it won’t continue at Rosehill on Saturday.
It's been well documented that Krone, last start winner of the Coolmore Classic, has only been in Gollan's care for 12 months and the owners took a punt on keeping her going this season.
They've been rewarded as five-year-old eyes four straight wins in the Group 2 $200,000 Canadian Club Emancipation Stakes (1500m) and Gollan said she's just gone from strength to strength.
"Mares hit their maturity at different times and you can see she's in the best form of her life,'' he said.
"Obviously we've only had the horse one previous preparation but I think she has enjoyed getting off the real summer tracks.
"She's been aided by some really good rides. There's a certain way to ride her and the jockeys are doing it really well.
"Both of Tim Clark's rides on her have been terrific, they've been nice and patient and producing her for the last shot."
She showed exactly how in the zone she is by clocking the fastest last 600m in the Group 1, running 33.48, and the fastest last 200m of 11.47 (Punter's Intelligence).
Krone is in an unusual position in the Emancipation, her hat-trick including the Coolmore has her at the top of the market, $3 with TAB on Friday, as opposed to her starting prices of $31, $16 and $14 at her past three starts.
While a little wary of now being the hunted, Gollan said he feels a lot more confident about Krone going into this race than he was back on March 13.
Under the weight scale Krone only rises 1kg on the Coolmore win and though a couple of her rivals from that race are slightly better off against her there are others that meet her on the same weight terms.
"She's actually better weighted in this than what she was in the Coolmore,'' Gollan said.
"The low draw I'm very happy with and the track is probably going to be a little bit better for her.
"Obviously the week of the Coolmore the rain was forecast and it didn't come and the track firmed up which is expected. This week is a better forecast and they'll prepare the track beautifully.
"I feel better going to the races this week on what will be a good 4 or soft 5 than what I did going there on a good 3 on Coolmore day.
"It all looks well for a good run, she just needs the right luck in running and if she gets that I'm sure she is going to race really well."
Krone will likely head to the Group 1 $1m Coolmore Legacy (1600m) at Randwick on April 17.
Stablemate Outback Barbie has a run of outs stretching back to January 2020 and that's a source of frustration for Gollan but he's expecting her usual honest performance in the Group 3 $160,000 E Group Security Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m).
She's been placed in three of her past four runs, charging home from last on a heavy track at the Gold Coast in her latest on March 13 off a two month break.
"She's one of those luckless horses, she's won a lot of prizemoney but she could have won a hell of a lot more through bits of bad luck,'' Gollan said.
"Drawing 12 probably hasn't helped her this weekend but she's in good order. She raced really well at the Gold Coast last start without winning.
"She's found the right grade of race, I'd be a brave man to say she's the winner of this but I expect her to run well."
Outback Barbie, $16 with TAB, has raced seven times in Sydney with her best results coming in 2018 with a third in the Group 2 Percy Sykes (1200m) and a close second in the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m).
