O’Shea Happy With White Sage Ahead Of Liverpool City Cup

Trainer John O’Shea has revealed that he is happy with the progress of White Sage heading into the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) at Warwick Farm on Saturday and believes that the race will top her off nicely for her Group 1 debut in the Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 22.

John O'Shea could have both White Sage and Gypsy Diamond in the 2014 Coolmore Classic field.

John O'Shea could have both White Sage and Gypsy Diamond in the 2014 Coolmore Classic field. Photo by: Steve Hart

White Sage suffered her first defeat when she finished third behind Catkins and Steps In Time in the Group 2 Breeders Classic (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on February 15 and O’Shea told Racing Ahead that the Reset mare had come out of the race in excellent condition.

“She has probably done a bit well in the three weeks between runs so we gave her a pretty searching gallop on Tuesday morning on the Kensington track,” O’Shea said.

“She seems to have come through it very, very well and she definitely needed it and will improve with the run.

“I think that she is going the right way into the Coolmore and I am very happy with where she is at.”

O’Shea could have two runners in the 2014 Coolmore Classic; with the future Darley trainer confirming that talented filly Gypsy Diamond will contest the race if she performs strongly in the Group 2 Surround Stakes (1400m) this weekend.

Gypsy Diamond resumed with an impressive second place finish behind Sweet Idea in the Group 2 Light Finger Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on February 22 and O’Shea feels she may struggle to replicate that performance, but will need the run heading into her major 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival goals.

“She is the sort of filly that if you go through her best performances, they are at the Valley and Randwick and they are the sort of tracks that have a good bit of give in them,” O’Shea said.

“We have a bit of give in the track at Warwick Farm here on Saturday and that will suit her, but I think she will be the type of filly that is better suited back at Randwick.

“Hopefully she will run well on Saturday and lay a good foundation for the rest of the autumn.

“If she was to run well on Saturday we would probably run her in the Coolmore.

“She is still down in the weights and a couple of those good mares will run, so there is going to be a massive spread in the weights this year.”

White Sage is currently on the second line of Liverpool City Cup betting markets at odds of $3.50, while Gypsy Diamond is rated an outsider in the Surround Stakes at a quote of $16.

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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.