Track conditions for the return to Randwick on Saturday will determine the leading hope for trainer John O’Shea in the Listed Aspiration Quality.
O’Shea has Tigress Lily and Think Mink in the 1600m fillies and mares event having won the race with Warpath last year and Pravana in 2008.
“One of mine, Think Mink, needs cut in the ground and if she gets it she’ll be right in the race,” O’Shea said.
“Tigress Lily needs it firm and I couldn’t be happier with her.
“If she gets a nice surface on Saturday, she’ll be very hard to beat.
“Track conditions will determine which horse will be in the finish.”
Think Mink will step up to 1600m for the first time while Tigress Lily has been freshened to drop in distance after running over 2000 metres at her most recent start at Rosehill five weeks ago.
Tigress Lily raced to a 4-1/2-length win over 1900m at Canterbury on January 28 before finishing fourth on slow ground over 2000m at her next start.
“She’s just going really well,” O’Shea said.
“Even after that win at Canterbury, her next start she got a wet track and still ran fourth even though she wasn’t happy at any stage.
“I thought her trial last week was good and she worked really well on Tuesday morning.”
O’Shea’s Randwick team for Saturday’s Guineas meeting also includes Alberton Park in the Listed Wenona Girl Handicap (1200m).
Alberton Park has run well in all three starts since joining the Randwick trainer’s team and O’Shea opted to scratch the mare from last week’s Wiggle Stakes (1400m) to wait for this.
The O’Shea-trained Steps In Time was a dominant winner of the Wiggle.
“She drew 16 and the track was off so there were two good reasons to leave her at home last week,” O’Shea said.
“We thought the tempo of the race from her barrier would have been against her. She hasn’t helped herself again with a wide draw (barrier 13) but she’s flying so she’s got to go to the races.
“I think she’s going to need luck from that gate. Jimmy (Cassidy) is going to have to be at his best.”
Alberton Park finished a close second to Dystopia in the Listed Triscay Stakes (1200m) last start and Dystopia will be a rival again on Saturday.
Ofcourseican finished third in the same race before coming out and easily winning the Group Three Liverpool City Cup (1300m) last Saturday.
O’Shea-trained stablemates Shelford and Ashokan, meanwhile, will be out to enhance their Golden Slipper prospects in the Group Three Skyline Stakes.
