A solid performance in Saturday’s Group One Rosehill Guineas will hurtle progressive three-year-old Twisted Emotions towards a date with destiny.
The John O’Shea-trained gelding is out of 2004 Queensland Oaks runner-up Zumanity who was also prepared by O’Shea.
Many of Zumanity’s owners retained an interest in her as a broodmare and her mating with Danewin was designed specifically with the hope it would produce an Australian Derby contender.
Twisted Emotions was the result and he will put his Derby credentials on the line at Rosehill on Saturday when he takes on big guns It’s A Dundeel and Fiveandahalfstar.
“We selected the mating in an attempt to breed a Derby horse so if we can get him to that race then that’s a start,” O’Shea said.
“He’s always been a nice horse so we’re just hoping he runs well on Saturday.”
The Rosehill Guineas (2000m) is the middle leg of Sydney’s three-year-old autumn triple crown which kicks off with the Randwick Guineas (1600m) won this year by It’s A Dundeel and culminates in the Derby (2400m) run at Randwick on April 13.
The Guineas marks a significant step up in grade for Twisted Emotions who has won his past two starts on provincial and country tracks.
However, he did finish runner-up to Fiveandahalfstar over 1900m at the end of his last campaign and that horse won the Victoria Derby less than three weeks later.
Fiveandahalfstar is still not a certain Rosehill Guineas starter with trainer Anthony Cummings to decide on race morning whether he will back up from his second in the Ranvet Stakes last weekend.
He was the $3.60 second favourite when TAB opened its market on Wednesday with It’s A Dundeel at $1.85.
Twisted Emotions is an $18 chance while stablemate Kingdoms is at $51.
The latter may be good value as O’Shea can’t split his pair.
“They should both be competitive,” he said.
“This should be a nice progression for Kingdoms. He was good first-up but he’s really been set for the Derby.”
A final field of nine has been paid up for the Guineas, including the Peter Snowden-trained pair of Tatra and Solemn and Victorian Hvasstan.
