Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Will Roselyn’s Star match it with the Everest hopefuls? Is Starzintheireyes a carnival contender? Can Sam Hawkens finally step up?

Trainer John O'Shea (Pic: Steve Hart)

Trainer John O’Shea is going to learn an awful lot in the space of an afternoon at Randwick on Saturday.

Emerging sprinter Roselyn’s Star is set to face his biggest test in the Group 2 $1 million Catanach’s Jewellers Concorde Stakes (1000m) and O’Shea said his performance will go a long way to determining the rest of the spring.

The five-year-old has been kept ticking over since a dominant July Sprint win at Rosehill some seven weeks ago and while he’s well the trainer is realistic about the opposition.

“I’m of the opinion that Tempted is the best sprinter in Australia so I’m under no illusions about the strength of the race,’’ O’Shea said.

“We’re trying to place him to advantage now he’s up at the level he is. Hopefully he can be competitive.

“He likes being fresh and seems to appreciate that.”

Roselyn’s Star, $9 with TAB on Thursday, beat two of his Concorde rivals in his trial win a couple of weeks ago, holding a three length margin on Headwall and Marhoona.

It’s been a gradual rise through the ranks for the gelding, who had a year off the scene prior to the start of last season but he stamped his potential winning the Group 3 Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m) in the autumn.

“He came off a long break so we had to go through the process of getting the miles in his legs. He’s executing well now,’’ he said.

“It’s probably a little short of his best but it’s a 1000m at Randwick and it’s a genuine test up the rise so he should be fine.”

Import Starzintheireyes starts his second preparation for O’Shea, and co-trainer Tom Charlton, in the Agency Real Estate Handicap (1600m).

He was placed in his first two local starts, at Hawkesbury and Randwick, in May before running sixth at Flemington over 2000m.

O’Shea said he’s been rapt with the gelding’s two trials, the latest a closing third behind Sir Delius, and is expecting a strong first-up performance.

“As with most horses when they come out of Europe they go better in their second prep and he seems to have adapted well,’’ he said

“I think he looks like he will run a mile and a half, he has a stout pedigree. We’ll start on Saturday then he’s on the right leg to progress to some nice races.”

D-Day is very close for another import Sam Hawkens, if it’s not in Saturday’s Listed $200,000 Drinkwise Cup (2400m).

The six-year-old arrived in Australia last spring and started a short priced favourite in the St Leger Stakes (2600m) on TAB Everest Day before switching from William Haggas to the O’Shea/Charlton yard.

He’s been unplaced in four subsequent starts and while O’Shea can offer some excuses for his first-up run behind Eliyass a month ago he wants to see a sharp turnaround in a suitable race.

“It’s a critical day for him,’’ he said.

Roselyn's Star wins a trial at Rosehill on August 21

“I was very forgiving of his first-up run. He was out of his comfort zone whereas the tempo will be different, he’ll have a bunny to chase and he’ll only have to run up to his work to run well.”

John O’Shea on Bartolf (race 5): “He ended up having to go back from the draw and the fence was no good on the day, Hugh (Bowman) ended up trying to get up the rail. He let down well but he had to do too much work to catch up in a slowly run race. I was happy with the effort and he can bounce back quite easily, he looks to have drawn well and won’t have to go too far back.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting