O’Shea Gives Saints The Edge In Sisters’ Coast Battle

You’ve got to play the cards you’re dealt in a race and trainer John O’Shea believes the cards have fallen in favour of All Saints’ Eve for Saturday’s $500,000 The Coast (1600m) at Gosford.

Trainer John O’Shea (Pic: Bradley Photos)

The Randwick trainer is well represented in the inaugural running of the three and four-year-old feature with the mare and her year younger sister All Hallows’ Eve and says the race hasn’t been an afterthought.

“It’s always been on our radar, we didn’t necessarily know we’d run both but it was an option for both horses throughout the campaign,’’ O’Shea said.

“When they both ran very well at their last start we spoke to connections and they were happy for both to go around.”

The siblings head to The Coast in good form but O’Shea’s leaning to the elder All Saints’ Eve comes from drawing barrier one and it’s a gate he’s keen to make use of.

The four-year-old has tackled two Group 1 races this preparation since her slashing third first-up behind Think It Over in the Liverpool City Cup (1300m) in February.

She ran eighth behind Nettoyer in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf on April 17 and her last 600m there of 34.41 (Punter’s Intelligence) was second only to the winner.

“She hasn’t been able to draw the gate that can get her into the race and she’s done that on Saturday,’’ O’Shea said.

“If you go back to her first-up run behind Think It Over, that day she had to go right back to last and if she draws a gate she wins that without question.

“Her sister was similar, she’d been getting wide draws and when she finally got a gate she won.

“We’d like to have ridden her closer in some of her other runs but she hasn’t had the opportunity to do so.

“She’s finally drawn a gate where she can win the race. We’re pretty optimistic she is going to be in the finish.

“She’s just got really good form and we’re very happy with her. I think the wet ground holds no problems with her, or the distance, so we go there with a bit of optimism.”

The market sees things the same way as O’Shea with All Saints’ Eve, ridden by Sam Clipperton, at $6 with TAB on Thursday, while All Hallows’ Eve, partnered by Andrew Adkins, at $15.

O’Shea said All Hallows’ Eve, who carries 4.5kg less than her sister, will likely be ridden conservatively depending on the pace of the race.

He said feedback from Jamie Kah after her last start win in the Group 3 JHB Carr Stakes (1400m) at Randwick two weeks ago gave him the confidence to stretch her out in distance.

Regardless of the result at Gosford, O’Shea says All Hallows’ Eve has set a platform for better things next season.

“Jamie Kah was adamant she’d run a mile so we give her a chance and she can go to the paddock and come back in the spring,’’ he said.

“She’s been going well all prep and the encouraging thing about her is she’s a bit ahead of her sister at the same stage.”

The weather will play a big role in whether stablemates Blesk (Hoolihan Partners Handicap) and Instant Attraction (Brook Group Handicap) run in their respective races at Gosford with O’Shea hopeful for a soft track at worst.

Blesk won at Warwick Farm on March 31 then three weeks later finished fifth behind Savoury at Canterbury while Instant Attraction resumed with an eye-catching sixth behind Olympic Legend at the same meeting.

“He (Blesk) got run off his feet a little the other day on a leader’s track. He lost no admirers and we’re very happy with him,’’ O’Shea said.

“(Instant Attraction) won’t run if it is heavy but she is flying so we are keen to get her to the races.”

– Racing NSW

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