John O’Shea remains focused and so too Savvy Nature.
The proud Queensland horseman, now based at Randwick and head-hunted by the Dubai ruler, wants to win Saturday’s Randwick Guineas and Savvy Nature is the horse.
“Blinkers may well be the key,” O’Shea said on Thursday.
“A grandson of Zabeel, most of the progeny, more often than not they are affective in blinkers.
“His first run in them, he won the AAMI Vase at Moonee Valley last spring. He won in style.”
From outback Queensland to the once Royal Randwick O’Shea is about to join Sheik Mohammed’s world dominating Darley Stud racing operation.
A month and a half away O’Shea will take over from another workaholic horseman in Peter Snowden as Darley’s head trainer.
“Savvy Nature has made good progress from his first-up run,” O’Shea said.
“The blinkers back on will help, he is up to a mile second-up. That’s a good profile, he won second-up at a mile last preparation.
“He has drawn beautifully in barrier six, he has a form jockey in James McDonald in the saddle so there is a lot to like about this horse.”
A horse owners, such as the well known major part-owner Max Whitby, declared, early on, would stay in the O’Shea yard until the trainer made the transfer to the Darley operation.
The one headed-up by a workaholic in Peter Snowden. A proud family man, who stunned the racing world when announcing he was leaving Darley a couple of months ago.
He along with son Paul, who runs Darley’s highly successful Flemington stable, are set to take over O’Shea’s Randwick stables
“It has been very smooth and I’ve got a good working relationship with Peter [Snowden],” O’Shea said.
“It has been conducted in a professional manner by both organisations and I’ve got to thank my staff, my owners, they’ve been wonderful.
“Right now we are committed to making sure the Randwick stable keep getting the results, keep getting the results the owners, those paying the bills, and the staff, deserve.”
O’Shea is grateful for the family man knows the Randwick Guineas is no ordinary race. The one at headquarters is a group 1 event and a stallion maker. O’Shea knows how to develop this type of galloper.
“It is a very good guineas and it would be difficult to take 5-1 about the winner,” O’Shea warned.
“It is an open Guineas on a quality days racing, it is fantastic.”
Not even a rain affected track is of concern for O’Shea is confident “it shouldn’t be a worry”.
“We’ve had an inch of rain, slow at the moment,” O’Shea said.
“If there is no more rain it should be a good surface for all those competing on the day.”
And O’Shea has more runners competing on the day.
Looking for an out O’Shea has Diamond Oasis and Polarmore going round in the last.
“The terms and conditions of the race suggest Diamond Oasis will run well,” O’Shea said.
“A talented horse while Polarmore is talented, blinkers go on for the first time, and shouldn’t be too far off in the run.”
Then there is Lucky Lago early in the day.
“He has a good first-up record,” O’Shea said.
“He is back to a handicap, back to listed company and he has a good record at the track.”
By Craig Young
