Danny O’Brien came up trumps with Shamrocker when he elected to take the hard option and run the filly against the colts and geldings second-up in Saturday’s Group One Australian Guineas at Flemington.
O’Brien could have waited a week and run her against the fillies in the Group Two Kewney Stakes (1400m) and said he would have if it was still a 1600m race as it was up until 2009.
“This filly needed a mile (1600m) before she goes up to Sydney for the 2000-metre race (Vinery Stud Stakes) on (Golden) Slipper day and then the AJC Oaks (2400m),” O’Brien said.
“This was a real bonus. We think this year she might even be in the Melbourne Cup.
“Her run (second) in the (VRC) Oaks was outstanding. She ran into Brazilian Pulse who was absolutely flying and is an outstanding filly too.
“We certainly think that when this filly turns four she’s going to be a serious racehorse.
“She’s a very good filly. Obviously she won the (VRC) Sires’ (Produce Stakes) at two and she loves the big track here.”
Glen Boss had Shamrocker ($31) travelling nicely with cover midfield and she sprinted quickly to race to the front in the straight and score by 1-3/4 lengths from Bullbars ($9) with Playing God ($5) three-quarters of a length away third.
“We had her pretty right for the mile here today. She was a bit underdone first-up, just peaked, and we needed to keep her a little bit fresh for a mile,” O’Brien said.
“I thought she might be a little bit more dour this autumn and that it mightn’t be until she got to the AJC Oaks that she was ready.”
Boss was to ride fourth emergency Absolutelyawesome but the gelding failed to get a run.
“Glen rode her enormous and she’s a deserved winner,” O’Brien said.
“He obviously has a really good rapport with her and when Mike Moroney’s horse didn’t get a run he was able to ride her.”
Boss has a good record on Shamrocker having ridden her four times for all three of her wins including the 2010 Group Two VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
“It was nice for Danny to put me back on her because obviously she goes pretty well for me,” Boss said.
“She felt like the winner from about the half-mile (800m) mark. I had Brett (Prebble) on Playing God outside me and it looked like he was in a bit of strife, he was overracing and not travelling as well as he should have, but she was just smoking.
“I couldn’t believe it. When she towed me through my only concern was second-up I got there too soon, but I had to take the run when it presented itself.
“She’s got a very, very good preparation ahead of her so with any luck the owners keep me on. You never know, they didn’t want me on in the first place.”
Leading West Australian trainer Neville Parnham said he was “a little bit keen” to back up Playing God in the $1 million Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington next Saturday after he worked home well from midfield.
Top Hong Kong-based jockey Brett Prebble told Parnham the Blackfriars colt felt like he was looking for 2000m now.
AAP TURF
