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By Ray Hickson

A rumble with the TAB Everest runner-up at Randwick on Saturday will give trainer John O’Shea some early insight into where promising colt Napoleonic may be best placed to chase a valuable Group 1 in the autumn.

Trainer John O'Shea (Pic: Steve Hart)

The Wootton Bassett three-year-old will face off against Tempted, who chased home Ka Ying Rising in the Everest, and dual Group 1 placed colt Wodeton in the Group 3 $250,000 Kia Ora Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m).

O’Shea, who co-trains with Tom Charlton, said second-up will be a pivotal run for the campaign’s direction but the quality opposition ahead this weekend is welcome to help shape his views.

“She’s very, very, good particularly at six furlongs so she will give a line on where you’re going to fit in because she’s probably the benchmark,’’ O’Shea said.

“I think (the preparation) will be defined after the Hobartville, that’ll give us a fork in the road for what we think he can achieve.”

Napoleonic, $4.20 with TAB on Thursday, kept a fairly low profile through the early spring where he won a maiden and a Benchmark 68 in September.

He then finished just behind the placings in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes before heading to Melbourne where he snared a Group 3 win at Moonee Valley.

“We looked after him in the spring, he wasn’t quite ready, we set him a little task and he got the job done,’’ O’Shea said.

“He’s had a good break and a good campaign where he was seasoned up, we’re ready now to see how far he can get.”

James McDonald has ridden the colt in all three wins but he’s committed to Wodeton in the Eskimo Prince so Zac Lloyd, who has been in the saddle twice plus in his first trial this prep, gets his chance.

O’Shea said a kind barrier gives Napoleonic a perfect platform to make some kind of statement and is expecting him to at very least be competitive.

“We’ve been very happy with him, James knows him very well and he’s been pleased with him so everything seems to be going the right way,’’ he said.

“That barrier is going to be pretty important, he should be able to box seat and Zac can make his mind up in the run.”

It seems likely that two-year-old Scintillating’s debut could be held back after she drew the outside of 13 in the Listed $200,000 Darley Lonhro Plate (1000m).

That decision will be left to the connections but the I Am Invincible filly has pleased O’Shea with her two trial performances.

“We’ll have a think about it, she’s a really nice filly but barriers are important for their first start,’’ he said.

“We want to give her a positive day, there’s a lot of speed in the race, and I’ll give the owners the option to scratch.”

Meanwhile, the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes is shaping as the autumn return for classy four-year-old Linebacker who steps out at Friday’s Canterbury trials.

Last year’s Randwick Guineas and Silver Eagle winner will contest a 900m trial in his first public hitout since running seventh in the Golden Eagle back on November 1.

“He had a good campaign last time, interrupted with a little injury part way through,’’ O’Shea said.

Napoleonic wins a Randwick trial on January 27

“He didn’t quite have the foundation to be competitive in the Golden Eagle but I wouldn’t be surprised if at that level he’s more than competitive when he has the right preparation.”

The Canterbury Stakes is run on March 7 at Randwick and he’ll likely progress to the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) two weeks later.

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