O'shea Star Primed For Spring

Sun Herald

Sunday August 27, 2006

By CRAIG YOUNG RANDWICK

THERE'S nothing like a live raceday kill to prepare a thoroughbred for the spring carnival pickings.

That's the conclusion to be drawn from astute trainer John O'Shea after Primus returned with a stylish and gritty win in the Show County Quality yesterday.

Go back to the spring of last year and Primus was deemed unlucky in the Caulfield Guineas in Melbourne.

In the autumn in Sydney the horse raced without lady luck in the Randwick and Rosehill guineas.

Three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Glen Boss sacked himself from the imposing colt.

The pair didn't click, but under Hugh Bowman yesterday Primus, an easing favourite at $2.60, mowed down Resistor ($21) to score a short-head win.

"I'm just pleased for the horse getting back in the winner's circle," O'Shea said.

"The poor bugger had a bad time in the autumn and it will do him well to get some confidence.

"Do him and the owners a lot of good."

Sharing in the ownership of Primus are well-known race players Sherriff Iskander and Wasim Gazal, who were both beaming after the win.

O'Shea also praised the navigation of Bowman.

"It was a very good ride, I'll tell you that," the trainer said.

"He was very new, the horse, and he [Bowman] cuddled and cuddled him over the rise and then went for him."

Bowman revealed that O'Shea had mapped out the horse's spring campaign and had offered him the ride throughout.

The leading horseman didn't hesitate in taking up the offer.

"Today is a stepping stone," Bowman said. "He is a winner.

"Resistor gave a good kick, but my horse was always going to win, and he is going to get better.

"He was doing his best work on the post and he had a good blow after the race."

While Primus started favourite, the money came for Malcolm, which carried the John Hawkes-Darren Beadman stamp.

Malcolm was backed from $3.60 into $3, with Beadman parking the gelding behind Primus, which travelled in fifth place.

When Primus let down shortly after straightening, Malcolm was left paddling and eventually finished fifth.

"It wasn't a bad effort. He is looking for further," Beadman said.

The Queanbeyan-trained gelding New Edge ($8) did well to finish 13/4 lengths away in third place, while Doncaster Handicap winner Patezza, which was resuming, finished seventh.

Trainer Guy Walter said Patezza "never really got a crack at them".

"The run was OK," he said.

Asked about the major target for Primus, O'Shea nominated the Tramway Handicap as the next goal, followed by either the Shannon Stakes or the George Main Stakes.

O'Shea said group 1 races such as the Epsom Handicap, Toorak Handicap and George Main Stakes were on the agenda.

"He'll run in two of them, but I'm not sure which two," he said.

All three of these events are run over 1600 metres and Bowman was happy to declare Primus would run "a very good mile" when fully tuned.