Latest news with #John OShea
News.com.au
05-08-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Ray Thomas' tips and inside mail for racing at Canterbury on Wednesday
The Daily Telegraph's Ray Thomas previews racing at Canterbury on Wednesday where seven races are slated for decision on what is expected to be a heavy track. FIELDS AND FORM CANTERBURY ON WEDNESDAY Best Bet Race 5 No 3 Bat Out Of Hell Improving with racing this preparation, he races well on this track and can take full advantage of his favourable barrier. Next Best Race 6 No 3 Winston Hills A first-up specialist with a good record at Canterbury and with even luck in running he will be charging home. Value Irish import which made mistakes but still won well at his Australian debut. He should continue to improve with racing. Quaddie Race 4: 1,2,4,9 Race 5: 1,3,5 Race 6: 1,7,8,11 Race 7: 4,6,9,10 Jockey To Follow Tommy Berry has seven competitive rides including Starry Desert and Southern Heiress. Trainer To Follow The John O'Shea-Tom Charlton stable have a good representation in five races most notably Cross Tasman, Straand Beauty and Unusual Prospect. â– â– â– â– â– INSIDE MAIL - CANTERBURY Race 1: Burma Star can make a winning return to racing in an early season three-year-old race that has plenty of depth. Burma Star, raced by Godolphin, showed talent despite three winless starts last season and he has shaped promisingly in two recent barrier trials. He's drawn to get the run of the race from barrier three and James McDonald takes the ride. Barbarossa, also owned by Godolphin, had five starts without a win last season but mixed it in good company. Drawn awkwardly but handles wet tracks and is also trialling very well. Spice Prawn was unlucky not to win at Rosehill first-up and is an improving filly. Portofino faded under pressure at his debut but has been back to the trials where he caught the eye late. Bet: Box trifecta 5,8,11,13 Race 2: Starry Desert, an English-bred four-year-old, did plenty wrong at his Australian debut but still found a way to win his maiden at Newcastle. He will appreciate getting out to 1550m and I don't mind his wide draw as he needs galloping room. No knock on the lightly-raced but promising Cross Tasman except he is well found in betting at around $2.20. Delrico has improved with racing this preparation and the emerging Gallahop was strong late when breaking through over 1600m at Gosford. Bet: Starry Desert to win, saver on Gallahop at odds Race 3: Intriguing clash between promising filly Karinska and unbeaten topweight Infusion. I'm leaning to Karinska as she showed ability last season, scoring impressively on debut when she burst through late to win over 1200m here, then was unplaced in successive Group-class races during autumn. Karinska has had two soft trials to prepare for her turn but she's nice and sharp so expect her to be hitting the line strongly. Infusion raced on speed and won well on a heavy track when making her debut last month. She has drawn wide but has early pace and is likely to be in front of Karinska on the turn. Southern Heiress bolted in on debut over 900m at Newcastle and although this is obviously a tougher race she has upside. Maquisa hasn't had much luck in recent starts and has drawn wide again but she is bursting to win a race. Bet: Karinska to win Race 4: I'm with Stormland at each way odds. He won well on debut, beating the promising Grand Prairie, then was tested in the Kindergarten Stakes when down the track behind North England. He's resuming in midweek grade against older horses but his two barrier trials have been very good, barrier two is advantageous, Jason Collett rides and he's a good gamble at close to $7. Shalaa Gold would have been top pick with a better draw but if he gets any luck in running, he will be in the finish. The Enchanter has the inside barrier, gives himself every chance racing on speed, and he goes well on this track. Straand Beauty appreciated getting the blinkers last start and led throughout to win convincingly. He is going to be in this race for a long way again. Bet: Stormland each way, watch betting moves for Shalaa Gold Race 5: Bat Out Of Hell and No Drama both excel at Canterbury and they look hard to beat here. Bat Out Of Hell has had four runs back from a spell, he's improved every time and comes off a close third at Kensington over 1550m. He's had four starts over the Canterbury 1550m course and hasn't missed a top three finish including one win. Bat Out Of Hell will be stalking No Drama throughout and I expect he will be too strong late. No Drama likes to lead and dominate, handles wet tracks and is racing in very good form. Seven's is one to watch. Lightly-raced former French galloper who did enough at his debut Australian preparation earlier this year to suggest he has a future. He's trialling well and is drawn to advantage. Sting In The Tail is fitter for recent racing but might be looking for further now. Bet: Bat Out Of Hell to win, box trifecta 1,3,5 Race 6: Winston Hills is a smart sprinter resuming. He boasts a very good first-up record, goes well over this course and distance, handles rain-affected going, and can unleash a powerful finishing surge. Dimitrov's main claim to fame is that he once ran dual Group 1 winner Ceolwulf to a half length in a maiden nearly two years ago. Dimitrov was off the scene for 18 months but there was a lot to like about his game comeback effort at Kembla Grange. He's over the odds. Catahoula is drawn to get all the favours here and is ready to win. Similarly, Slinky is working her way back into form but is coming back slightly in trip again. Bet: Winston Hills to win, saver on Dimitrov at double figure odds Race 7: In a tough closer, The Years only has to run up to his strong Warwick Farm 1600m win last start to go close again. The Years finished his race off very strongly in heavy going last start so the step up to 1900m should not be an issue. Unusual Prospect has won twice from three attempts this time in and gets the blinkers here. Hard to beat. Hovland won with authority at Hawkesbury then raced without luck at Canterbury. He's worth another chance. Bright Red can mix her form but she's suited in midweek grade on rain-affected going
News.com.au
12-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Trainers John O'Shea and Tom Charlton always knew Getafix had talent and the gelding is now showing it with consecutive wins
A Jason Collett masterclass propelled emerging sprinter Getafix to a thrilling last-gasp success at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Collett expertly wove a passage through the field from back in the pack to help the John O'Shea and Tom Charlton -trained galloper arrive in the nick of time TAB Benchmark 88 Handicap (1400m). Getafix ($4) showed an explosive turn of speed late to nail Joseph Pride 's Cool Jakey ($6.50) on the line with the Ciaron Maher -trained It's A Knockout ($2.05 favourite) in third. 'He is a big, strong, powerful horse,' Charlton said. 'He has got good ability and is capable of getting to stakes level in time. 'He is only a three-year-old and if there was stakes race in three weeks' time for a three-year-old he would be a likely candidate. 'We will just keep doing what we are doing with him and build his confidence.' Getafix has always been a horse O'Shea and Charlton have held in high regard and the son of Calyx has now started to show it. He demolished rivals by more than five lengths at the midweeks before backing it up with a terrific sprinting effort on his home track. Charlton expects Getafix will measure up in stakes company soon. Getafix STORMS home to make it back-to-back wins taking out race 8 at Randwick in a tight photo finish! ðŸ'¸ Jason Collett makes it a race-to-race double! ✌ï¸� @JohnOSheaRacing â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 12, 2025 • Maher import Supreme in first Aussie win 'Even today he didn't relax as well as he could but he is a pretty useful horse,' he said. 'That is 88 grade for a three-year-old so that's a pretty good effort. 'At the end of his two-year-old season and as a three-year-old, him and Linebacker were the ones we thought could shape up pretty well and he has just taken a bit more time to work towards that.' Linebacker, the winner of the Group 1 Randwick Guineas in the autumn, is back in work and preparing for the spring carnival. A date with the $10m Golden Eagle is among the top options for the star son of Super Seth in the coming months. 'Linebacker is one that will work towards a Golden Eagle but in saying that he will probably work towards an Epsom first,' Charlton said. 'If suddenly he is crying out for further we'd have to do that but he is already qualified for a Golden Eagle and you only get one chance at that. 'He's about a month off a trial and would probably get to an Epsom third-up. He won't get a Winx Stakes or anything like that.'
