O’Shea has 2 fillies in Reisling Stakes field

Trainer John O’ Shea is hoping to keep the stable’s two year old winning momentum going when he saddles up Ottoman and Calaverite in the Group 2 $300,000 Guinness Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Ottoman is one of two fillies John O'Shea will saddle up in the Reisling Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Ottoman is one of two fillies John O’Shea will saddle up in the Reisling Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

One time Golden Slipper favourite Ottoman and Calaverite are two of the fillies that make up the nine horses field of the Reisling Stakes.

Ottoman has drawn barrier seven and has the in-form James McDonald to ride again but will have to improve greatly to get back to the top of the market order for the Group 1 $3.5m Tooheys New Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 21.

The Exceed And Excel filly no doubt will strip a lot fitter following her first up fourth behind Headwater in the Group 2 $250,000 Blackwoods Uvex Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on February 21.

Calaverite will also have benefitted from her first-up effort when sixth to stablemate Haptic in the Listed $125,000 DX Solutions Lonhro Plate (1100m) at Randwick on February 14.

Sam Clipperton has retained the ride on Calaverite and the Lonhro filly has drawn well at barrier two.

The Gerald Ryan trained Fireworks would have to win the Reisling Stakes for owner John Camilleri to consider paying the late entry fee of $150,000 to gain a start in the Golden Slipper.

Fireworks produced the best run of her three race starts when she finished strongly to beat Blue Diamond Stakes placegetter Lake Geneva in the Group 3 $150,000 Widden Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on January 31.

Brenton Avdulla has been booked to ride again and the Snitzel filly has drawn three from the outside at barrier six.

Ryan will also saddle up Perignon who is having her first start since returning from the Gold Coast where she ran fifth to Le Chef in the $2m Jeep Magic Millions 2yo Classic (1200m) on January 10.

Ryan has put the blinkers on the Snitzel filly who will jump from the inside gate with Kerrin McEvoy to ride.

Gai Waterhouse will also saddle up a Snitzel filly in the shape of Giulietta who will have Tim Clark on top and will come out of gate five.

Giulietta is a winner of one race from three starts and is coming off a last start fourth to Haptic in the Lonhro Plate.

Waterhouse also has English in the Reisling Stakes with Blake Shinn to ride from barrier three.

Another good performance by Queensland filly Tibrogargan Miss would tempt connections to pay the late entry fee for the Golden Slipper.

Trainer Darryl Hansen was pleased with the Monashee Mountain filly’s last start third to Always Allison in the Group 2 $175,000 Les Johnson Memorial Sweet Embrace Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm last Saturday.

“It was a huge run considering she raced on the worst part of the track,” Hansen told Racing Queensland News.

“I was very happy with the run.”

Tibrogargan Miss has drawn the outside of the nine horse field with Luke Tarrant to ride again.

The other runners in the Reisling Stakes are the David Hayes and Tom Dabernig trained Stay With Me (Hugh Bowman, barrier 4) and Mine Two (Jason Collett, barrier 8) from the Hawkesbury stables of Gary Frazer.

 

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.