Ghisoni To Contest Coolmore Classic

Trainer John O’Shea has confirmed that Ghisoni will contest the 2016 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill Gardens next weekend.

Ghisoni will make her Group 1 debut in the 2016 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill Gardens next week. Photo by: Steve Hart

Ghisoni will make her Group 1 debut in the 2016 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill Gardens next week. Photo by: Steve Hart

Ghisoni had a disrupted start to her 2016 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign when she was scratched from the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on February 13, but she maintained her unbeaten record when she proved too good for her rivals in the Group 2 Surround Stakes (1400m) at the same venue on Saturday.

O’Shea said that he would prefer not to throw Ghisoni into a race as tough as the Coolmore Classic at just her fourth race start, but he told Sky Racing HQ that he could not bypass the opportunity to run the Lonhro filly in a Group 1 event with just 50 kilograms on her back.

“We are probably going to run her in the Coolmore,” O’Shea said.

“It is not my preferred option to be fair, but I don’t think we will have the option of running her at this weight next year.

“I would have loved to have had the run at six furlongs and then the seven and it is a much preferable program, but she is a Group 2 winner and the opportunity to run her in a Group 1 with 50 kilos doesn’t come around that often.”

James McDonald has ridden Ghisoni in all three of her race starts to date, but the leading Sydney hoop can’t get anywhere near the weight of 50 kilograms and O’Shea has called on Australian jockey Corey Brown to return from Singapore for the Group 1 event.

“We had a couple of options there for people to ride her at the weight,” Brown said.

“Young Chad Schofield was one, but he told us that he probably can’t make the 50 and he can only make the 50.5.

“Corey Brown has given us an undertaking that he will ride her at the weight and we will probably run her.”

Godolphin are chasing their first win in the Coolmore Classic after previously missing the placings with Neroli in both 2010 and 2009 as well as Portillo in 2009, while O’Shea finished second with Private Sheer in the 2004 edition of the race.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.