Randwick trainer John O’Shea has unveiled an impressive debut two-year-old winner Robodira who will be Golden Slipper bound in the autumn.
Robidora ($19) upset her more fancied rivals to take out the De Bortoli Wines Handicap over 1100m at Rosehill Gardens.
The Husson two-year-old filly proved too strong for Godolphin’s Sliders ($5 EF) defeating her by a length and a half with the other equal favourite Hunnam ($5 EF) a further half a length back in third.
Robodira had had two trials in the lead-up to her debut and it was her most recent hit-out which gave O’Shea confidence for a positive debut.
“It was a really good effort under trying conditions,” O’Shea said.
“I just thought her trial on Tuesday was indicative she was going to be competitive today, particularly when she drew where she drew.”
The home-bred filly for Finemore Thoroughbreds is out of the well performed Redoute’s Choice mare Don’t Blink, who also won on debut as a two-year-old for O’Shea.
She had clearly shown ability early on, with O’Shea earmarking her for bigger fish to fry in the autumn.
“I jumped her out I reckon in May and I rang Ron and said ‘well, you’ve got one’,” O’Shea said.
“I just popped her out of the gates and knew straight away. She had good ability as a type, she’s a genuine two-year-old hope,” he said.
“She’ll go to the paddock and she’ll come back in the autumn and we’ll give her a chance.”
