O’Shea backing lightly raced duo to shine at feature Newcastle meeting

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

O’Shea backing lightly raced duo to shine at feature Newcastle meeting

By John Schell

Randwick horseman John O’Shea is confident he can snare a winning double at Newcastle on Thursday when the lightly raced pair of Condrieu and Orzala line up in their respective races.

Condrieu, a lightly raced six-year-old that sports the colours of O’Shea’s stable star Lost And Running, will contest the Australian Bloodstock Class 1 & Maiden Plate (1850m) with Alysha Collett taking the ride.

Leading Sydney trainer John O’Shea.

Leading Sydney trainer John O’Shea.Credit: Getty

“She’s only had the eight starts in her career, but she’s a progressive type of horse that is still on the way up,” O’Shea said of Condrieu.

“She’s won the one race and had a couple of placings and now that she’s had a couple of runs back from a spell, I’d say she is just about to show her best form at Newcastle.

“The first-up fourth at Newcastle over the mile was a solid effort, and she backed that up with another fourth at Kembla Grange.

Loading

“The step up to the 1850m looks made to order and Alysha Collett does a good job riding for us, so she ticks all the boxes. She’ll be right in the finish, and hopefully, she can go on with the job after she gets through this.”

O’Shea is hoping four-year-old mare Orzala can also run well when she resumes from a spell in the Prince Of Merewether Hotel Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m).

Orzala only had three starts in her three-year-old season, scoring in a Newcastle maiden between two city runs.

Advertisement

“She debuted at Canterbury on a heavy track and was down the track there, but she bounced back well to win at Newcastle,” said O’Shea.

“We thought enough of her to run her in the Reginald Allen last spring on Everest day and she was far from disgraced there when she finished midfield.”

Orzala is a well-bred Snitzel mare out of Group 1 winner Norzita, and is raced by a syndicate headed by John Messara’s Arrowfield Stud.

“She’s trialled twice with Tom Sherry aboard in readiness for her return to racing and she’s ready to give it a shake,” O’Shea said.

Best Bets
Race 2 (5) Condrieu.
Race 6 (2) Global Empire
Best Value
Race 1 (8) Impulsivity

Full form and race replays available at racingnsw.com.au

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.

Most Viewed in Sport

Loading