Originally from Toowoomba, Tony relocated his Darling Downs stable to Eagle Farm in 2012 and industry insiders are in no doubt of his advanced training capabilities and potential.
Rugby League football played an important role in Tony Gollan's life but the love of racehorses and all things racing was always close. When Tony completed his schooling at St Mary's College in Toowoomba where two of his fellow students were the late Stathi Katsidis and now Racing Queensland Limited chairman of stewards Wade Birch, he contemplated a full time pursuit of football.
Tony was a Queensland Under 19 representative. But he also had close ties to the stable run by his father Darryl while he was growing up and he had been a keen follower of form to give his penchant for a punt some hope of success. He and footy mates would often go to Clifford Park races after a match. Despite some words of warning from his dad, Tony took out a trainer's licence when he was twenty. He had a team of four horses and the confidence of youth. But reality soon bit. "I thought the first horse I saddled was a certainty in a race at Wandoan and bet accordingly. The horse ran off the track at the home turn and was beaten. I was crushed and soon realised the training caper was a lot tougher than I'd first thought,'' Tony recalled.