Fifteen months on from his traumatic Magic Millions Guineas ordeal, Sydney Bowler still bears mental scars but with the support and patience of his trainers, the gelding is slowly regaining his confidence.
The four-year-old will take another important step in his comeback when he returns to Saturday grade in the NSW Bookmakers Co-Op Handicap (1400m) at Randwick.
And while he would usually head there with a level of expectation, co-trainer John O’Shea said that wasn’t the case – at least not yet.
Sydney Bowler had won his first two starts and was one of the leading fancies for the 2024 Magic Millions Guineas at the Gold Coast when he flipped in the barriers and became wedged.
He had to be sedated while they freed him, a process which delayed the start of the race by 80 minutes.
Thankfully, the horse didn’t suffer any serious physical injuries, but he didn’t come through the incident unmarked.
“We’ve been mindful of the serious nature of what went on there, and we wanted to bring him back steadily and not rush,” O’Shea said.
“Everyone expected because he was unbeaten, he should be straight back. But with the trauma of what he went through, it has taken a while for him to work it out.”
Sydney Bowler hasn’t been beaten far in his three starts back, the latest when fourth over 1300m at Hawkesbury.
O’Shea said the performances had been particularly pleasing given the gelding had understandably been anxious pre-race, adding that the work to gradually rebuild his confidence was ongoing.
“He has been very nervous at the races,” he said.
“We just need to get on top of all those things. He has been performing admirably considering what he has been behaving like at the races. Once we get a bank of good, solid performances and get him relaxed, he will be fine.
“I’m not perplexed by the fact he hasn’t won this time in. I think that will come in good time.”
Last year’s Adrian Knox Stakes winner Good Banter will also fly the flag for O’Shea and training partner Tom Charlton at Randwick when she resumes in the TAB Handicap (1600m).
The mare deliberately wasn’t overtaxed in the spring as she made the transition from three-year-old grade to open company and O’Shea hoped that had laid a solid platform for her future.
“There are a couple of nice races we’ve got programmed for her later on in the season over a bit of ground so we will get her started and go from there,” he said.
Interstate, O’Shea and Charlton will chase their third Group 1 win of the season with this year’s Adrian Knox Stakes runner-up Polymnia in the Australasian Oaks (2000m).
The stable has already claimed majors with Linebacker in the Randwick Guineas and the Doomben 10,000-bound Schwarz in the William Reid Stakes.
