The Group 1 Manikato Stakes at The Valley late next month looms as a potential elite-level target for Zoustar’s dual Stakes winner Schwarz after he landed the prize at G2 level first-up in Sydney last Saturday.
The G1 Memsie Stakes on August 31 was initially on the radar for the four-year-old entire to attempt to earn a career at stud, but co-trainer John O’Shea said on Monday he is prepared to wait for the horse after a tough Missile outing.
“We’ll just take our time with him as he had a very hard run on Saturday and he wasn’t quite ready for that,” O’Shea explained. “We might give him another run in Sydney before we bring him down to Melbourne.
“He’s going to get to Group 1 level at some stage, so we’re just trying to find that sweet spot.
“I think seven (furlongs or 1400m) is his best trip, but I wouldn’t rule out a Manikato.
“His racing pattern is to take a spot and finish the race off and at The Valley, that’s quite advantageous.
“One of the reasons why I ran him in the six (furlongs) at The Valley at his second start (Red Anchor Stakes last October) was to give him a look at The Valley and he acquitted himself more than admirably.
“He’ll have one more run in Sydney and then if we are happy with him, we’ll give it consideration for sure.”
Schwarz was a $1.25 million yearling purchase by the Victorian Alliance, who identified the son of Zoustar as a colt with stallion potential.
O’Shea said he has been delighted with the pre-training of his quality three-year-old Linebacker, who has the Caulfield Guineas and possibly Cox Plate as his major spring goals.
Linebacker’s only defeat came at the hands of Godolphin’s colt Broadsiding in the G1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick, but O’Shea said he thinks his colt could turn the stables this spring.
“I think the key between the two horses was that James (McDonald) identified the fact that Broadsiding was a pretty forward, tough little rooster and that’s why he was able to race on (to Queensland) as well as being highly talented,” O’Shea said.
“I always felt our bloke was six months away, so I always had a view of a light autumn and build towards the spring.
“If he happens to run well in the Guineas, traditionally those horses run well in a Cox Plate if they are bred to and he’s definitely bred to.”
O’Shea and his new co-trainer Tom Charlton also have a Melbourne Cup prospect in the form of the imported Athabascan, who ran second in the Sydney Cup at his latest start in April.
“We’re really happy with him,” O’Shea said. “He’s been chipping away and getting miles into his legs and I think he’s ready now.
“The favourite (Circle Of Fire) is the horse that beat him in the Sydney Cup and we are going to meet him a little better at the weights.”
Circle Of Fire is currently the $11 favourite for the Melbourne Cup, with Athabascan marked an early $51 chance.
– racing.com
