O’Shea tips sharp rise in Ingham for Yorkshire after comeback win

Trainer John O’Shea is excited about the improvement to come for Yorkshire in the $2 million The Ingham (1600m) after he bounced back from a cardiac arrhythmia to dominate the group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday and give Zac Lloyd a riding treble.

Yorkshire suffered the setback when finishing last as favourite in the $1 million The Hunter (1300m) two weeks ago at Newcastle, but punters rallied behind the five-year-old Snitzel gelding, backing him into a $2.70 top elect on Saturday.

From gate one, Yorkshire jumped well and was taken to the lead by Lloyd, who controlled the tempo to set up a neck win over Artic Glamour. It was a first stakes-grade win for Yorkshire, who improved his record to seven wins in 10 starts.

O’Shea, who trains in partnership with Tom Charlton, believed Yorkshire had plenty more to give in the Ingham at Randwick on December 13 after showing signs in a track gallop on Tuesday he was nowhere near his best.

“When we got the data there on Tuesday … we just thought we had a bit of work to do,” O’Shea said. “I was very concerned coming into the race that he was going to lob in behind a couple of horse that weren’t going to get him too far, but when he jumped very well, Zac took that out of the equation.

“I was surprised he was able to control the race like he did, but that was the key to winning. We knew he had a lot of improvement on whatever he did today and it’s very encouraging going into Randwick in two weeks.”

Lloyd will be free to ride Yorkshire in the Ingham despite picking up a seven-meeting suspension for his earlier winning ride on Lyles. He also won the listed Starlight Stakes on Flying For Fun.

Heys eyes another stakes target

Warwick Farm trainer Bryce Heys was considering a shot at the Razor Sharp Handicap (1200m) in two weeks with Flying For Fun after she hit her long-range target in the Starlight Stakes (1100m).

The four-year-old, by Heys’ group 1 performer Spieth and out of another he trained, Vol Prive, started a $3.40 favourite in the listed race and got a gun run behind the leaders under Lloyd before powering to a one and a quarter-length win over Barber.

It was a first stakes-level win for Flying For Fun, which was second in the group 3 Begonia Belle at Flemington two starts back before finish four lengths away in the group 1 Champions Sprint there a week later.

Heys, who has just 13 horses in work, said despite the Melbourne trip, the Starlight Stakes had always been the goal.

“Any Saturday, Randwick or Rosehill, is big for us because we have such a small team, and she’s done a terrific job and is deserving of it,” Heys said.

“She’s just raced without a bit of luck. Not through her fault or the jockeys’ fault, just a couple of bad barriers and had different runs, but it worked out today and it was really good.

“It definitely wasn’t an afterthought, even though we went to Melbourne. She ran so well in the autumn and just got knocked off in the PJ Bell, so we wanted to give her a decent break with a view to probably ending up here.”

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Major Beel won the program’s other feature, the listed ATC Cup (2000m), in a quinella for the stable.

The six-year-old, an ATC Derby champion, had not won since September last year but defied his odds of $21 and two ninths this preparation to beat stablemate Shangri La Spring ($3.60 favourite) by one and a half lengths.

Lyles gets nod in stewards room

Matt Smith-trained Lyles and Zac Lloyd survived an interesting protest to take out the 1100m benchmark 78 handicap ahead of Snack Bar.

A $1.70 favourite, Lyles held off the Bjorn Baker-trained Snack Bar by a half neck in a willing battle down the straight before jockey Tommy Berry protested. Berry told stewards Lloyd crossed him near the 700m mark when not sufficiently clear, forcing his mount to shy and lose a “length and a half” and ultimately cost him the win.

Stewards agreed that Lloyd caused interference, later suspending him for seven meetings, but they dismissed the protest, ruling that Snack Bar had clear passage down the straight to run down Lyles, which recorded a third consecutive win and the biggest of his career.

Firsts for young co-trainers

Georgie Cavanough and George Carpenter celebrated firsts in their training careers thanks to Shenandoah River and Geemes at Rosehill.

Shenandoah River took out the Highway Handicap to give Cavanough, who entered into a training partnership with her father, Brett, this season, her first city winner.

She said it was fantastic and a relief to get the victory with the three-year-old filly for “special owners” Arthur and Dordie Bragg.

“They’ve been great supporters of ours since we moved to Scone and I think we’ve won a race with nearly every horse that we’ve had for them, and from that family as well,” Georgie said.

“She’s always been impressive, since she was a baby, and we’ve just given her time and she’s finally putting it together.”

Carpenter, who entered into a partnership this season with Mitch Beer at Kembla Grange, scored his first Saturday city win when Geemes, a $35,000 tried-horse buy for racing presenter Anthony Manton, won the Midway Handicap.

Waller colt fires on debut

Top trainer Chris Waller said Snitzel colt Fireball lived up to the stable’s opinion of him with a stylish win on debut at Rosehill on Saturday.

Waller had second favourite Jaipur Maison ($3.90) in the 1100m two-year-old handicap after a strong debut, but it was Fireball ($8), off two soft trials, that stole the show.

The $460,000 Inglis Easter Sale yearling buy for James Harron raced in the one-one, contested the lead at the 400m, then was headed by runner-up Tigroni before kicking clear for a one-length win under Tommy Berry.

“Our first two-year-old winner of the season is normally a pretty good one because they get there on their own without doing much work,” Waller said.

“He’s a beautiful colt with a great attitude. He’s showing us the qualities that good horses show us.”

He said Fireball was likely to have a break before preparing for the autumn. He was $34 with TAB for the Golden Slipper.

Rotagilla gave Waller a double later in the program, taking out the benchmark 78 handicap over 1800m.

Winx filly back soon from setback

The unraced $10 million daughter of legendary mare Winx, Quinceanera, is due back in work soon after a minor bout of colic derailed her path to a first trial.

Champion trainer Chris Waller, who guided Winx to 33 consecutive wins, including 25 group 1s, revealed on Saturday that Quinceanera would likely begin work towards a race debut in the next couple of weeks.

Waller told Sky Racing Radio that the Pierro three-year-old was close to trialling before a light bout of colic prompted a move to the paddock.

He said the stable was “quite concerned” when Quinceanera experienced a couple of days of stomach cramps but she was treated by vets before heading back to its farm.

He said the filly was fine now and was “going really well” before the setback.

Winx part-owner Debbie Kepitis bid a record $10 million for a filly at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale last year to fully own Quinceanera.

Winx’s first colt, by Snitzel, is set to go under the hammer at the same sale in April.