Talented colt Osamu has already won over his new trainer and he might just become the stable favourite if he can land a victory on the track.
Osamu was Group Two placed in the Skyline Stakes as a juvenile and rounded out his three-year-old spring campaign with another stakes placing in Melbourne under former trainer Chris Waller.
Despite his impressive resume, the colt is yet to win in nine starts, a statistic his new conditioner Annabel Neasham hopes to amend.
“He has to be the best horse I’ve had anything to do with that is still a maidener,” Neasham said.
“It would be nice to get rid of that maiden status.
“Condition wise he looks spot-on, he’s moving well, feeling well. He is one of the most beautiful horses we’ve got in the stable.
“I like looking at him every morning. He is very handsome so hopefully he can match that on the track.”
Osamu will resume in the ANZ Bloodstock News Handicap (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday.
He has also been paid up for a race at Kembla Grange but after drawing wide at the provincial circuit he will almost certainly head to Sydney.
His nine rivals include four-time winner Emanate and Gosford Guineas runner-up The Face but Neasham is confident Osamu will acquit himself well.
“There is a bit of depth to the race even though it’s not a big field and I think it will be a nice place to kick him off before possibly having a tilt at the Inglis Sprint a fortnight later,” she said.
Another horse to have found its way to Neasham’s yard is the former Phillip Stokes-trained mare Selica, who will also be in action at Randwick.
Neasham was buoyed by Selica’s effort to finish third in the Belle Of The Turf Stakes last start despite a limited preparation and regards her as a leading chance.
