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John O’Shea has a strong hand in the feature races at Gosford this weekend.
Fresh off an impressive win in the Hawkesbury Gold Cup with stable stalwart Kirwan's Lane, Randwick-based trainer John O'Shea is aiming for more riches at this weekend's Gosford standalone meeting.
O'Shea will saddle up Irish import Diamil in the $500,000 The Coast Quality for three and four-year-olds and his honest campaigner Southern Lad resumes in the $200,000 Listed Takeover Target Stakes.
Four-year-old Diamil has had three local runs for O'Shea since landing on our shores, including a dominant Warwick Farm victory two runs back. But was slightly disappointing when fifth at Randwick last time out jumping at the prohibitive odds of $1.90
O'Shea has signalled a gear change to switch his Awtaad entire back on.
"Just put a little bit of head gear on him," O'Shea told SEN's Andrew Bensley on Tuesday morning.
"I just felt that it's been something that I wanted to do. When he got beat the other day I thought it was an opportune time to do it.
"And particularly at Gosford, it's a track where you need to be taking a spot early in the piece, hopefully it brings the desired effect."
Diamil is currently equal 14th on the ballot and gets in well at the weights, with the track looking like being in the Soft range come Saturday.
"He's got no weight and Rachel King is going to ride him," O'Shea said.
"He's effective on wet ground, just not that real heavy ground that we had the other day.
"He's a four-year-old entire, he does very well between runs so we need to keep the work up to him. That's why he had a good hit-out at Randwick last week and a run two weeks later really suits him."
O'Shea will also line up his honest Ocean Park gelding Southern Lad in the Listed Takeover Target Stakes, with the seven-year-old first-up on the back of two handy Randwick trials.
Southern Lad has done a fantastic job for Champion Thoroughbreds and connections, winning seven races and amassing almost $700,000 in earnings.
"Off a $60,000 purchase," O'Shea said.
"He's turned up every season, won a race every season and worked his way through the grades.
"They've had a bunch of fun with him and hopefully he's still got plenty to come.
"He's fit and well and happy and trialed well. Obviously getting on in years but he's been a really good servant for the stable and there's no reason why he wouldn't be effective again this preparation."
Diamil is currently equal favourite at $5 with the TAB for the The Coast Quality in All-In betting with Southern Lad sitting at $15 for the Takeover Target Stakes.
