Top trainer wondering how good weight-for-age form is

The fantastic finish in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes last month had racing fans excited but it also got John O’Shea thinking.

And those thoughts escalated after his exciting three-year-old Lion’s Roar won the Group 1 Randwick Guineas a fortnight ago.

Even if Rosehill’s meeting went ahead on Saturday Lion’s Roar wouldn’t have run because O’Shea wants to keep him fresh for the richer races at The Championships.

Despite the ATC Derby being worth $2 million, O’Shea might go for a $4 million carrot instead.

“I haven’t ruled out the Queen Elizabeth,” he said.

“Lion’s Roar’s pet distance is 2000m at Randwick so it’s something we’re giving consideration to.

“He’s 5/1 in the Derby and 33/1 in the Queen Elizabeth so we probably should be running in the Derby.

“But I’m not ruling out that race (Queen Elizabeth) because maybe the fresh horse with the different formline is the one.”

If Lion’s Roar does go to the Queen Elizabeth he’ll really be thrown in the deep end against last year’s winner Addeyyb, Verry Elleegant, Mugatoo, Arcadia Queen and Colette.

And O’Shea is the first person to question some of that form publicly.

“There was a length between them the other day in the mile race (Chipping Norton Stakes) and the horse that ran second (Colette) didn’t fire last Saturday,” O’Shea said.

“Maybe they’re going well because they’re racing each other. Maybe that’s why they all look good.”

Funstar and Avilius went over the line with Verry Elleegant and Colette in the Chipping Norton and they haven’t won a race since March 2020 and September 2019 respectively – and both had run 24 times between them since those wins.

While O’Shea respects them and concedes Addeybb has slightly different formlines he thinks Sydney’s best weight-for-age race is up for grabs.

“Did everyone think at the start of the year that Colette was a genuine weight-for-age horse?” he said.

“I was going through the weight-for-age races and the Australian Cup was a glorified Listed race so there’s nothing coming out of Melbourne.

“Mugatoo (All-Star Mile winner) was always a good Group 2 horse in Sydney and ran very well in the Cox Plate so he’s a good horse.

“Maybe something with a different formline might expose that they’re not going as good as everyone thinks.

“I think Lion’s Roar is a very good horse. He broke the record for the race the other day.”

O’Shea was desperate to see how good Addeybb had travelled and come back in Saturday’s Ranvet Stakes but it was not to be due to the washout at Rosehill.

“I would’ve loved to have seen Mo’unga run in the George Ryder for no other reason than to see how the three-year-old went against the weight-for-age horses because I think he would’ve been well-supported and well-found,” O’Shea said.

Taking on the big guns as a three-year-old has proved to be a good strategy many times in the past.

The most famous example this century was when Bart Cummings sent a young horse to the Cox Plate at just it’s fourth start after running fifth in the Caulfield Guineas.

That horse was So You Think.

COOLMORE GETS EUROPEAN SIRE SENSATION

By Ray Thomas

Coolmore Australia has secured European sire sensation Wootton Bassett for their stallion roster this spring.

Wootton Bassett, an undefeated Group 1 winner during his juvenile season, is best known as the sire of champion Almanzor, US Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Audarya and Group 1 winner Wooded.

Wootton Bassett’s crop of 2020 two-year-olds boasts top-class juvenile Chindit, winner of the Group 2 Champagne Stakes at Doncaster and a leading fancy for this year’s English 2000 Guineas.

“We are very excited by this opportunity to offer Australasian mare-owners a proven sire of Wootton Basset’s calibre,” Coolmore’s Tom Magnier said.

“He is a magnificent dark brown horse with a fabulous head and eye – a deep-girthed individual with very good hindquarter and hip and a really good, purposeful action.

“Wootton Bassett is by a sire well known to Australasians, Iffraaj, sire already of 10 Group 1 winners, 5 in each hemisphere, including Australian and New Zealand Group 1 winners like Jungle Cat, Jon Snow, Turn Me Loose, Gingernuts and Wyndspelle.

“We can’t wait to show Wootton Bassett off and are confident that Australasian mare-owners will see him for the great opportunity and great value he represents.”

NSW RACING WEEK AHEAD

Today: Tamworth, Queanbeyan

Tomorrow: Gosford

Wednesday: Warwick Farm, Grafton

Thursday: Hawkesbury, Wagga Wagga

Friday: Muswellbrook, Sapphire Coast

Saturday: Rosehill Gardens, Wyong, Port Macquarie, Wellington

Sunday: Armidale, Wellington

Originally published asO’Shea targets big guns with Guineas winner

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