A soft track at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday will help the chances of French import One Foot In Heaven in the Group 2 $200,000 Bradford Access Insulation P.J. O’Shea Stakes (2200m).
Egg Tart, above in red and green colours, is one of two runners for trainer Chris Waller in the 2018 P.J. O’Shea Stakes at the Sunshine Coast. Photo by Jenny Barnes.
One Foot In Heaven drew barrier six in the original barrier draw in the eleven horse P.J. O’Shea Stakes field but will move into gate five with the early scratching of Marabel.
Corey Brown takes over from Michael Cahill on One Foot In Heaven who could only beat two runners home last start when eleventh in the Group 2 $358,000 Attwood Marshall A.D. Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast on May 5.
The Hollindale Stakes was run on a good 4 surface and trainer Chris Waller’s Queensland foreman Paul Shailer said that the firm Gold Coast track didn’t suit One Foot In Heaven and he expects the six year old to be better suited on the softer Sunshine Coast circuit which was rated a heavy 1o on Wednesday at acceptance time.
“Five of his wins have been on soft or synthetic tracks. The track was too hard in the Hollindale Stakes,” Shailer told AAP.
“There has been rain at the Sunshine Coast and hopefully the track will remain at least soft for him.
“He won a trial at Warwick Farm between his runs and while Egg Tart looks very hard to beat but he should run a race on a soft track.”
Trainer Chris Waller will also saddle up Egg Tart who has drawn awkwardly at barrier nine, but will jump from eight, with Leith Innes back in the saddle.
Egg Tart found her best form for twelve months when an encouraging second to stablemate Comin’ Through in the Group 1 $650,000 Hardy Brothers Doomben Cup (2000m) at Doomben on May 19 and Shailer expects the dual Oaks winner to figure in the finish again.
“One Foot In Heaven and Egg Tart are probably the two horses suited at weight-for-age in the O’Shea,” Shailer said.
Victoria’s leading trainer Darren Weir will also saddle up two runners in the P.J. O’Shea Stakes with Tradesman, barrier two, and Gallic Chieftain, barrier three, drawing next to each other.
Dean Yendall replaced John Allen on Tradesman who was well beaten last start when ninth in the Doomben Cup while Jeff Lloyd takes over from Mark Zahra on Gallic Chieftain who struggled on the Doomben surface last Saturday when tenth to Rising Red in the Group 3 $125,000 Channel Seven Premier’s Cup (2200m).
Kiwi stayer Megablast has been given the visitor’s draw and will jump from the outside gate with top local jockey Damian Browne taking the ride on the Nigel Tiley trained gelding.
Final field for 2018 P.J. O’Shea Stakes (2200m)
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | x72x203x60 | ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN (IRE) | Chris Waller | Corey Brown | 6 | 59kg | 107 |
| 2 | 3×36143110 | GALLIC CHIEFTAIN (FR) | Darren Weir | Jeff Lloyd | 3 | 59kg | 103 |
| 3 | 2266×45530 | MAN OF HIS WORD | Bruce Hill | Michael Cahill | 7 | 59kg | 98 |
| 4 | 28x1948x16 | MEGABLAST (NZ) | Nigel Tiley | Damian Browne | 10 | 59kg | 100 |
| 5 | 0x374x4419 | TRADESMAN | Darren Weir | Dean Yendall | 2 | 59kg | 94 |
| 6 | 1322310305 | KAHARAU | Kenny Rae | Laura Cheshire | 8 | 59kg | 96 |
| 7 | x270x40052 | EGG TART | Chris Waller | Leith Innes | 9 | 57kg | 107 |
| 8 | 4277×32932 | SMART AS YOU THINK | John McArdle | James Orman | 4 | 57kg | 80 |
| 9 | 3314×21838 | KARAVALI (NZ) | Kris Lees | Michael Walker | 1 | 57kg | 88 |
| 10 | 618x52x185 | MARABEL | Wendy Roche | Scratched | 5 | 57kg | 70 |
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