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Jessicabeel as Gorgeous as Ever

SYDNEY, Thursday 2 September, 2010 - The Tramway Handicap is expected to be short of Jessicabeel's best but trainer John O'Shea believes she has returned in great order for her Melbourne Cup preparation.

The five-year-old Zabeel mare resumes in Saturday's Group Three event over 1400m at Randwick in her first start since becoming a Group One winner of the Sydney Cup (3200m) in April.

Jessicabeel will be joined in the Tramway by stablemate Snapy Halo, who hasn't raced since his sixth in the Doncaster Mile.

O'Shea said all the indications were that Jessicabeel had returned an improved mare this time in work.

"We haven't seen the barriers or the way the track is playing and all that sort of thing yet, but on a fair track I expect her to be hitting the line strongly on Saturday," O'Shea said.

"I just expect her to run well because I couldn't be happier with her."

Jessicabeel really came of age as a stayer in the autumn.

After finishing ninth first-up in a 1400m race at Rosehill she then ran third in both the Listed Aspiration Quality (1600m) and Epona Stakes (1900m) before winning the Group Two Chairman's Handicap (2600m) and Group One Sydney Cup (3200m).

"The form around her is good and she's made good improvement as you would expect from a five-year-old Zabeel mare," O'Shea said.

"She's continued an upward spiral and she's a bigger and stronger mare."

Jessicabeel was given 52.5kg for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups when weights were released on Wednesday while stablemate Zabrasive was given 53kg.

"That's exactly what we expected," O'Shea said.

"Jessicabeel carried 52 kilos in the Sydney Cup when she was probably entitled to carry 48 with what she'd done. She was dominant in good time and 52.5 is a weight where we're still going to be competitive."

Snapy Halo's sixth in the Group One Doncaster Mile showed the six-year-old entire had the capability to be competitive in good races again this spring with O'Shea looking at some of the feature 1600m races as possible targets.

"He has run sixth in a very, very strong Doncaster, beaten just over two and a half lengths and that itself is going to have him in the mix (in some good races)," O'Shea said.

The trainer said Snapy Halo was still "pretty burly" and would improve with racing under his belt heading towards races like the Epsom Handicap in Sydney or Toorak Handicap in Melbourne.

Kerilla Advances to Victory
SYDNEY, Wednesday 1 September, 2010 – The John O’Shea trained OTI Racing’s Kerilla strung two wins in succession this afternoon at Warwick Farm when too good in the Fillies & Mares event over 1600 m.
ABOVE: Kerilla (inside, Blake Spriggs) holds off the field for victory.
 
After being slow away from the jump, Apprentice Blake Spriggs continued to roll forward and circled the field to take up the running send Kerilla to the front.

Once let gallop out in the lead Kerilla got into a nice rhythm and appreciated the tactic when approaching the turn she had her opposition all in trouble.

Working up the run home she stuck to the rail and fought doggedly to the line to hold on and gain a most satisfied victory.

“This is a nice result for Simon & Terry from OTI and the mare has come along way since joining us and she is now a Metropolitan winner,” O’Shea mentioned.

“This is the happiest I had been with her coming to the races and her coat looked healthy and she ran accordingly.”
 
”We will just give her an easy time to get over the run and see how she does in the coming days before we decide on her next step.” O’Shea added.

O’Shea also had two close second placing with Smokin’ Gun earlier in the day and Not A Snip A Doubt just nosed out in the final race on the card.

“Smokin’ Gun was good today he is a staying conveyance who will start to get to his right trip now and he is building nicely.”
 
"Not A Snip A Doubt was honest and went fantastic, Corey gave him a peach and probably just had too get going a touch earlier than he needed, but he is racing in a rich vein of form.”  
It All Starts @ the Farm for O'Shea
SYDNEY, Tuesday 31 August, 2010 Randwick horseman John O’Shea has a busy team of runners this week and he will have five lining up at the Metropolitan mid week meeting at Warwick Farm tomorrow.
 
Last start Newcastle winner Kerilla, who dones the famous OTI Racing colours, steps up to a mile against her own sex and looks well placed for this assignment.
 
ABOVE: Going for a Hatrick of wins, John O'Shea's promising galloper Private Label
 
 
“Kerilla has made significant progress since joining us and she is coming off a confidence boosting win and really improved since,” O’Shea said

“I think the mile will suit and the fact that she will roll forward with 2kg off her back will really stand in good stead for when the whips are cracking, it’s the happiest I have been with her.”

The ever consistent Not A Snip A Doubt will give a great sight in the Benchmark 70 Handicap over 1100 m and champion hoop Corey Brown has been engaged to ride.

“Well, Not A Snip A Doubt is probably our strongest chance tomorrow he is going particularly well and on paper it appears to be a race with ample speed which will suit him,”

“He will be attacking the line late, he does go up in weight but a senior rider and how happy we are with of his overall well being we expect him to be extremely competitive.”

Kiwi import by sire of the moment High Chaparral, Smokin’ Gun has his second start under O’Shea’s charge and O’Shea said he is likely to run a cheeky race over 1600 m.

“I thought Smokin’ Gun gets in well at the weights and its race to see where we are at with him but he has come on tremendously since his first up effort and although it is a trip which will be short of his best he goes into the race in great order,”

“He is probably just one run off when we see him coming into his own.” O’Shea added.

The impressive last start winner who has put two on the bounce together now is Private Label who looks to be an improving type.

“We have been very kind to Private Label since his last start.”

”It was a very good performance last start and tomorrow we will see if he is as effective on top of the ground as he has been on the wetter surface,”
“In saying that I am very happy with him, and he does not know how to run a bad race.”

O’Shea ‘s final runner is the highly touted Pacquiao who trialled strongly and was luckless in his first up run, another mount jockey Corey Brown will unite with for O’Shea.

“Corey has done a bit of work with this horse and he is going really well, he will need to use his gate speed from the 2 alley just so he doesn’t get shuffled back on the fence but we will leave that in Corey’s capable hands.”

“The horse is working very strongly and ticks a lot of boxes to run well tomorrow, fit, healthy and he has a good blood profile.” O’Shea commented.

O’Shea will have a big team of runners over Wyong’s big two days on Thursday and Friday and also at headquarters on Saturday with the return of Sydney Cup winner Jessicabeel highlighting his big team at Randwick.

Zabrasive's Spring Preparation Underway
MELBOURNE, Sunday 29 August, 2010 Zabrasive’s ambitious Spring preparation is now underway with a creditable fifth in the Memsie Stakes (1400 m) yesterday at Caulfield.

Trainer John O’Shea was happy enough with the Group 1 winning Zabeel geldings effort.

“He had to kick off some where and that was his first go at weight for age against the best gallopers in the land,”

“It was a nice pipe opener for him and he was simply out sprinted, going forward we are very happy with where he is at, he has pulled up in good order and will continue onto the Underwood now and take significant improvement from yesterday.” O’Shea explained.

Rider Craig Newitt said it was a very good starting point for Zabrasive.

“He gave me a super feel and had no issue in getting around Caulfield, once I gave him a bum to follow he travelled beautifully,” Newitt said.

“It was his first go at weight for age and as we start getting over a trip he will be there when it counts, John has him in great order going forward.”
Zabrasive will now go back to Caulfield and run second up in the Group 1 WFA Underwood Stakes over 1800 m, Saturday 18th September.

The Start Of Bigger Things for Zabrasive
SYDNEY, Thursday 26 August, 2010 – The coming months for Randwick horseman John O’Shea are too be a sharp learning experience in his accomplished training career to date.
 
O’Shea has two promising stayers that are qualified for Australia’s richest race the Emirates Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday of November.
ABOVE: Group 1 Rosehill Guineas winner Zabrasive kicks off an ambitious Spring campaign this Saturday.

The start of this road will be this Saturday at Caulfield in the Memsie Stakes (1400 m) with Group 1 Rosehill Guineas winner Zabrasive commencing his Spring campaign.

“There is a lot of water to go under  the bridge yet, but we are just bringing our two along slowly and they have appreciated this and we are happy with where they are at this stage of their preparation.” O’Shea said, referring to both Zabrasive and Group 1 Sydney Cup winner Jessicabeel.
 
"We are by no way ahead ourselves." O'Shea warned.

“Zabrasive has settled into our Flemington base really well and gained some weight and is nice and fresh,”

“He goes into Saturday off only the one trial and has fair bit more to come, and it’s obviously a distance far short of what he is most effective at, in what looks a super field of gallopers.”  O’Shea commented.

“We just want to give him a look at Caulfield and he will be doing his best work late through the line.”

O’Shea will keep Jessicabeel in Sydney for the start of her preparation and said she will resume in the Tramway Handicap (1400 m) at Royal Randwick next Saturday 4th September.

“She is well and is very big in condition but the racing will bring her on and as she gets over more ground her ability to attack the line in the manner in which she does will come to the fore in the latter part of her preparation.” O’Shea offered.

At Rosehill Gardens O’Shea will saddle two competitive chances in Music Review and the ever improving Legsman.

“Music Review is right in Saturday’s race her best performances have arguably been second up at a mile and on Saturday she is second up off a break over 1800 m, so that in itself reads well.”

“She’s trained on in great order.”

“Legsman had a case to win the race the other day, however he gets his chance tomorrow as it does look a nice race for him and he is getting to 2000 m which he will appreciate.”

St Augustine Ready to show True Form
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Dashing Clear
Private Label Continues O'Shea's Winning Way
Team of Interest for Kenso
Stand And Salute to break on a High
Winning Form is Good Form for Not A Snip A Doubt
Tomorrow's Kensington Meet A Lead In Too A Big Week
O'Shea's Double Day @ The Farm
Stand by for Improvement
Benchmark System Comes Under Fire
Military Gal Looking for Confidence
Solar is Charging Up
Courageous Viva Las Bounces Back
Dominant on Debut
On the Warpath
Kick 'N Victory
Music In The Air Around Brisbane
Petraeus on the Upward Spiral
RANDWICK BARRIER TRIALS ABANDONED

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