John O’Shea has turned back the clock ten years in the quest of winning his second Sydney Cup on Saturday.
O’Shea says he’s attempted to campaign Rondinella similarly to Jessicabeel ahead of her successful Sydney Cup tilt as a five-year-old mare in 2010.
“I’d suggest just like Jessicabeel she’s coming right at the right time,” O’Shea said.
Jessicabeel ran third in the Listed Aspiration Quality (1600m) and Listed Epona Stakes (1900m) before winning the G2 Chairman’s Quality (2600m) and G1 Sydney Cup (3200m).
Rondinella was tenth in the Aspiration Quality, holding ground at the rear, before finishing fifth in the Epona Stakes and runner-up to Quick Thinker in the Chairman’s Handicap which these days is held seven days before the Sydney Cup.
“She’s had a run in the Sydney Cup previously where she carried 52kg and ran fourth so I don’t think the two miles holds any issues for her.”
Roger James and Robert Wellwood trained Rondinella in her first Sydney Cup attempt in 2019, beaten 2.9 lengths by Shraaoh.
The six-year-old Ocean Park mare has raced 30 times, half her starts evenly split between New Zealand and Australia. She won four of her first nine starts in New Zealand but has been winless since and is yet to experience success at stakes level either side of the Tasman.
Rondinella has raced ten times for O’Shea, finishing runner-up in the Listed City Tattersalls Club Cup (2400m) last October and last Saturday’s Chairman’s Quality.
“And just the manner in which she’s come through the race on Saturday gives us a bit of optimism.”
“She’ll run the best race of her preparation, we just hope it’s good enough. It’d be a lovely story for young Andrew Adkins on the comeback trail.”
Rondinella is a $13 chance to win the Sydney Cup with Favorite Moon the $5 favourite.
– racing.com
