Local Sydney horseman John O’Shea is sweating over the release of the 2013 The Galaxy weights this week as he waits to see what allocation his triple Group 1 winning mare Sea Siren is allocated.
Triple Group 1 winning mare Sea Siren resumes in The Galaxy this weekend. Photo: Daniel Costello.
Winner of the BTC Cup – Doomben 10,000 double in Brisbane last winter the Fastnet Rock four-year-old hasn’t raced since her failed international effort when ninth to Lord Kanaloa in the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin in early December.
That came on the back of two excellent spring runs, Sea Siren having won her third elite level first-up in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley before finishing second to Mental in the Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic at Flemington during the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
This autumn she’s had two Sydney trials over 800m finishing fourth in both and is ready to get back to race conditions in Saturday’s $350,000 Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Racecourse – so long as the weight is right that is.
O’Shea learnt a valuable lesson last Saturday at Rosehill having to watch his quality Danehill Dancer mare Steps In Time suffer her first defeat this time in when a hefty 57.5kg weight got the better of her when fourth to Appearance in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m).
“I had a Group 1 taken from me because of the weights,” O’Shea said of the Coolmore result.
“I couldn’t understand the weight Steps In Time got in that race, and if you look at it, a Group 1 winner (Appearance) that we gave 2½ kilos to won the race.
“You look at it now and you would say it was weighted a certainty. I don’t want to run another in a handicap where we are not in it with a reasonable chance because of weight.”
Among Sea Siren’s possible The Galaxy nominations are impressive first-up Challenge Stakes champion Snitzerland, the Desleigh Forster-trained Adebisi and John McNair’s great galloper Hay List who will bypass the race should they receive 59.5kg or more from the handicapper.
Official The Galaxy nominations 2013 are out shortly followed by the release of the odds at our preferred online bookie bookmaker.com.au who offer the country’s premier range of Fixed Win horse racing odds!
