Twenty-five years ago, a youthful John O’Shea celebrated his first Group win as a trainer in his own right when Grey And Gold triumphed in the Villiers Stakes.
He went on to win it again three years later with On A High, before taking out its first incarnation as The Ingham (1600m) in 2022 with Kirwin’s Lane.
Along the way, O’Shea has established himself among the country’s eminent horseman, preparing the winners of 32 Group 1 races, three of those with his training partner of 18 months, Tom Charlton.
On Saturday at Randwick, he will chase a fourth victory in the summer feature, this time with Charlton by his side.
“Obviously, a lot of water has gone under the bridge, but it’s a race that has always been very dear to me and let’s hope we can be competitive again,” O’Shea said.
While O’Shea has achieved much since Grey And Gold helped to put him on the map, the rise of Charlton to business partner and his injection of youthful exuberance has been a refreshing change.
O’Shea has also championed many a young jockey and was instrumental in luring James Mcdonald to Sydney.
He has a deep belief in nurturing the next generation and says the benefits work both ways.
“I think it’s always important to embrace youth,” O’Shea said.
“A lot of the people we have working for us are young and enthusiastic and Tom is an extension of that.
“We’ve got a good relationship in the sense that we complement each other. There are certain things Tom does very well, probably that I don’t necessarily do that well or don’t enjoy.
“There are certain things that, as an older person, I can do because I’m hardened and more seasoned. Usually they involve the negative things of our game, but that’s just part of what running a business is.”
In Ingham hopeful Yorkshire, O’Shea and Charlton have a horse who promises to be a stable pillar for at least the next couple of seasons.
The winner of seven of his 10 starts, he bounced back from an episode of heart arrythmia in The Hunter to take out the Festival Stakes (1500m) and is among the top fancies for Saturday’s $2 million showpiece.
O’Shea said the gelding had drawn significant improvement from his Rosehill win and felt he was the best horse he had saddled in the race, with the exception of Group 1 winner It’s Somewhat, who finished third in the 2015 Villiers carrying 59kg.
“He is probably the most accomplished horse we’ve run in it, apart from It’s Somewhat but It’s Somewhat had 59 kilos,” he said.
“This horse has ended up very well weighted (53kg) and probably has the best record of any horse we’ve run in it.
“It’s a decent race on Saturday. You’ve got progressive, lightly weighted chances and multiple heavyweight chances. Gringotts would be competitive in any Doncaster Mile. Sabaj looks to have great form. Estadio Mestalla has great form. There’s a Caulfield Cup winner (Duke De Sessa) in there. It’s a pretty strong race.”
Yorkshire has attracted early support, in from his $6 quote earlier in the week to $4.80 on Friday, while Gringotts has been a drifting favourite since drawing barrier 24, easing from $3.60 to $4.40.
