O'Shea Playing a Long Game in Shorts

Meanwhile, trainer John O'Shea isn't concerned if Everest contender Lost and Running (Per Incanto-Dreamlife, by Danroad) doesn't win this Saturday's Gr2 Shorts, reports racingnsw.com.au. "The race means a lot more to others than it does to us on Saturday," O'Shea said. "As long as he's doing his best work in the last 100m and he's competitive throughout the race we will be more than happy. I think a different sort of horse will be required to win the Everest than what will be required to win on Saturday." O'Shea believes it's experience at Randwick that matters the most. "If you're going to set your horse for the Everest you've really got to run in the lead ups at Randwick," he said. "Those that think they can run in 1000m races at the Valley and think they are going to be competitive are pretty much delusional. All the winners have had one thing in common – that they have run in the lead ups at Randwick. It's a different cup of tea the Randwick course proper and you need to be effective at Randwick to be in the finish." Lost and Running has won six of his seven starts and was second in the other. His last win was the Listed Luskin Star Stakes over 1300m in May 2021. A $40,000 Inglis Melbourne Yearling, he has earned over $200,000. "He's got a lot of improvement understandably because the races where he is going to most effective are the Everest itself and the race after the Everest," he said. "For us it is more beneficial to draw a bit out. We're mindful that he has a lot of improvement in him and to make sure he is most effective in those races. Because his preparation has been so smooth we just knew if we got him where we needed him to be in terms of his fitness and his weight the rest would look after itself. I think it will get a bit more exciting if he performs well and we head into the Everest with a genuine chance."