The chance to win a feature race before the best three-year-olds return for the autumn is the impetus behind Ashokan’s appearance in Saturday’s Royal Sovereign Stakes.
A Group Three winner as a juvenile, Ashokan chased home the likes of Pierro, All Too Hard and Epaulette last spring.
His best result was a third to Epaulette in the Group One Golden Rose but trainer John O’Shea is keen to get another win on the board.
Ashokan will resume in Saturday’s Group Two Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill and has prepared for the assignment with two barrier trials, the most recent a second to More Joyous.
“He trialled very well,” O’Shea said.
“I’ve tried to get him going before those really good horses come back.”
James McDonald has the mount on the three-year-old who is the clear third pick with TAB fixed odds at $4.60, behind only the unbeaten pair of Rebel Dane ($2.80 fav) and Sacred Falls ($3.40).
The colt will be one of two stakes runners for O’Shea at Rosehill along with frontrunning mare Steps In Time who resumes in the Group Two Breeders Classic (1200m).
The five-year-old won the race last year but with the Group One Coolmore Classic (1500m) at Rosehill on March 23 her goal, O’Shea is cautious about her return.
“She’s first-up and she trialled well but there is a lot of improvement in her whatever she does, so you’ve got to be mindful of that,” O’Shea said.
“She does have nice residual fitness and I’m very happy with her.
“The Coolmore Classic is her main goal.”
Steps In Time is one of seven runners in the Breeders Classic which also marks the return of quality mares Red Tracer and Pear Tart.
