Prince Cheri nails double for John O’Shea
Two imported horses have given trainer John O’Shea the perfect advertisement for his new venture with wins at Randwick.
O’Shea snared the double with nine-year-old Prince Cheri and former Irish mare Regine on Monday.
The trainer quit Godolphin in May and returned to head his own operation at Randwick at the start of the season and happily oversees a smaller-scale operation.
“I’m just chipping away, enjoying it,” O’Shea said.
Prince Cheri’s triumph the the Listed Tattersalls Club Cup (2400m) lifted O’Shea’s win tally to 11 and was one of his most memorable.
O’Shea took over training Prince Cheri from David Vandyke when owner Angelo Vasili opted to move him from the Sunshine Coast to Sydney in September.
“I’m very appreciative of the Vasili family for sending me the horse,” O’Shea said.
“He’s exactly what I needed and he’s just been crying out for a ride where you can hold him up for as long as you can.
“He’s got a great turn of foot over 200 metres but you can’t be flushing him out too early.”
Corey Brown followed those instructions precisely with Prince Cheri’s late speed carrying him to a half length margin over Vassal ($3.80).
“There’s none better than C Brown to do that and I’m very appreciative of the staff’s effort to get the old horse back winning,” O’Shea said.
Another nine-year-old, Destiny’s Kiss ($12) powered home to take third on a less than ideal firm track.
Brown rode Prince Cheri for the first time, and preferably not the last.
“I just bided my time. He didn’t win by a long margin but he really let rip when I let him go. I’d definitely ride him again,” he said.
Brown was rapt for O’Shea who has a team of 45 at Randwick.
“It’s good to have Johnny back. Obviously he used to train for a very, very big stable and now he’s back with the battlers and doing good,” Brown said.
Regine started O’Shea’s year off brightly when she won the second of her four starts since arriving from John Sargent’s stable.
The $2.60 favourite claimed the Youth Insearch Inspire Mile (1600m) by a length from Jaunty ($7) to also give Blake Shinn a treble.
Shinn celebrated his first two wins with Sydney’s leading trainer, Chris Waller.
He guided Savacool to the line in the Happy New Handicap (1600m) and then had success with Snitzel Day in the Book Summer Holiday Today Plate (1400m) after a protest against Koby Jenningson Mascot.
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