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Sydney trainer John O’Shea hopes a crucial gear change can give Rocha Clock an extra edge to claim the final Group 1 of the season in the Tattersall’s Tiara at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Rocha Clock has delighted John O'Shea since her last start third to the Chris Waller-trained Nudge in the Magic Millions National Classic at Eagle Farm on June 5 and has drawn barrier 10 for the 1400-metre feature.
O'Shea hopes winkers will help sharpen up Rocha Clock and turn her into his latest Group 1 winner, after landing her seventh win when she claimed the Group 3 Dark Jewel at Scone last month.
"There will be no excuses from us if she's beaten on Saturday," O'Shea declared.
"I brought her back home after her last run and three weeks between runs is perfect for her.
"I'll be adding winkers this time to keep her sharp.
"Hopefully she can find an extra five per cent which will see her in the finish."
O'Shea planned to send Rocha Clock to the Gold Coast where she will be stabled with Angela Plumb after the Canterbury meeting on Wednesday.
Rocha Clock will be ridden by Rachael King in her bid to become only the sixth five-year-old mare to claim the Tatt's Tiara since it was first run in 1989.
The first five-year-old to win the race was the Bill Mitchell-trained Zetoile in 1994 followed by Bonanova in her second of two wins in 2000, Miss Potential (2004), Cosmic Endeavour (2014) and Invincibella in 2019.
O'Shea has steadily built up a strong stable at his Randwick base after splitting with the powerful Godolphin stable in 2017.
The stable has been in great form with a 19% winning strike rate, with his latest winner Lillemor in the Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich on Saturday.
The former Queenslander learnt his trade working with the late Bart Cummings and Gai Waterhouse, and won his first Group 1 when Shot Of Thunder claimed the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield in 2002.
Now with 28 Group 1ss next to his name, O'Shea knows what is required to win a Group 1 in Queensland having succeeded twice with bonny mare Sea Siren in the 2012 BTC Cup and Doomben 10,000.
