San Domenico Stakes hopeful Foxwedge brightened up a chilly morning at Randwick for in-demand Kiwi apprentice James McDonald on Tuesday.
McDonald was in Sydney getting a taste of Randwick trackwork ahead of Tuesday’s Kensington-track race meeting and put the John O’Shea-trained Foxwedge through his paces in a pleasing hitout ahead of the colt’s return in Saturday’s Group Three San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill.
Sydney’s premier hoop Nash Rawiller will be on board Foxwedge in the San Domenico but McDonald will be watching from New Zealand after the colt gave him a great feel in the workout.
“He worked awesome,” McDonald said.
“I’m looking forward to watching him go around on Saturday. He’s a lovely horse and it was certainly nice to start the morning riding a nice horse like him.”
The winner of two of his four starts as a two-year-old, Foxwedge is yet to record a victory at stakes level but O’Shea believes that is only a matter of time and McDonald agrees.
“I’d say he’ll be right in it going by the way he worked,” the gun apprentice said.
The 19-year-old, who broke the New Zealand record for most wins in a season in 2010/11, will be riding at Te Rapa on Saturday where his plum spring carnival ride Scarlett Lady is pencilled in for an exhibition gallop.
McDonald won the Group Three Aurie’s Star (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday and backed it up with a win on Kerchings on Tuesday.
Foxwedge hasn’t raced since pulling up sore when seventh in the $3.5 million Golden Slipper in April.
O’Shea is delighted with the colt’s preparation for the San Domenico and is confident he is forward enough to make his presence felt.
The Fastnet Rock colt worked with older stablemate Freyberg on the dirt and clocked 1:9 for 1000m, running home his last 600m in 34.2 seconds with a final 200m in a slick 11.1s.
“He needed to have a good hitout because he’s a pretty gross colt and he had that this morning,” O’Shea said.
“We won’t die wondering on Saturday. He’s probably only going to have four runs this preparation and we’ll make sure that in all of them he’s right up to the mark.”
O’Shea is targeting the Group One Golden Rose (1400m) third-up on September 10 with Foxwedge before the colt is freshened for the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day.
O’Shea is looking for his second win in the San Domenico after training Charge Forward to victory in 2004.
AAP TURF
