John O’Shea’s top class sprinter Sea Siren is on target to kick off her Autumn Carnival campaign in the Group 1 $400,000 William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 22.
Sea Siren will start their Autumn campaign in the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Sea Siren is back in work at O’Shea’s Randwick stables after being quarantined on her return from Hong Kong where she was out of luck in finishing ninth to Lord Kanaloa in the Group 1 HK$15m Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on December 9.
The Fastnet Rock mare represented Australia in Hong Kong and O’Shea was initially disappointed with the result but was more sympathetic when she pulled up battered and bruised after having a tough run for Jimmy Cassidy.
“She got smashed at the start by the Japanese horse and Jimmy had to rev her up, then she got very fierce on him using a lot of petrol,” O’Shea said after the Hong Kong sprint.
Sea Siren has completely recovered from her trip overseas and O’Shea couldn’t be more pleased with her progress heading into the Autumn Carnivals.
“She’s big and strong and into her work already and I must say I’m looking forward to what she has to offer this time in,” O’Shea said.
“She didn’t need a long break because she hadn’t had a tough campaign.”
“It doesn’t look to have knocked her around and I’m really keen to get into her again.”
O’Shea has mapped out a program that will see her compete in Group 1 races at the three major carnivals down the east coast which will see her ultimately trying to win back to Group 1s during the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
“From the William Reid she’ll go to the T.J. Smith then the BTC Cup and the Doomben 10,000,” O’Shea said,
Sea Siren won her first Group 1 race in Brisbane last winter in the $400,000 Bundaberg Distilling Co. BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on May 12 and backed up two weeks later to take out the Group 1 $650,000 Carlton Mid Doomben 10,000 (1350m) at the same track.
The four year old carried on her Group 1 winning form scoring first-up in the $500,000 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on October 26 beating Mental before he turn the tables.in the Group 1 $1m Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 10.
Sea Siren in likely to clash with smart Queensland sprinter Buffering in the Group 1 $1m T J Smith (1200m) at Randwick on April 13 after defeating the five year old in last year’s Doomben 10,000.
And Randwick could be a packed house on T J Smith Day with the weight for age race also on the agenda for sprinting champion Black Caviar who is scheduled to resume racing in the Group 1 $500,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington on February 16.
