In the minutes after the win by It’s Somewhat in the 2017 Doncaster Mile, John O’Shea knew he was coming to the end of his three year tenure as head trainer for Godolphin’s Australian racing empire. He should have been on top of the world having just won the historic mile race for the third time. He’d won the first two as a public trainer with Private Steer and Racing To Win - victories that gave him great elation and professional satisfaction.
This time he felt a little flat. He was obviously an important cog in the massive wheel of the Godolphin operation, but a cog nevertheless. “Of course I was pleased to deliver a Doncaster to Sheikh Mohammed, but I didn’t enjoy it half as much as I did with my previous two winners.”
In just 3 years as Godolphin's head trainer John prepared 550 winners including 10 Gr.1's - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Not long after the conclusion of the 2017 Autumn Carnival, John O’Shea and Godolphin parted company. In just three years the Queensland born horseman had won 550 races with horses carrying the famous royal blue silks. Ten of those were at Gr 1 level. He’d performed his task with distinction.
His training triumph with Lion’s Roar in Saturday’s Gr 1 Randwick Guineas, couldn’t have been more timely. It comes as a reward for four years of hard work in rebuilding the training operation he disbanded in 2013. Many of his former owners had committed to other stables leaving him with a lack of spending power at the yearling sales. It was a genuine case of starting all over again.
Perhaps his NSW premiership statistics for the last three and a half seasons, best illustrate the resurgence of John O’Shea as one of Sydney’s best trainers. Accommodation at his Randwick stables caters for no more than 47 horses, and it took some time to fill those boxes. He did well to finish 2017/2018 with 26 winners, but improved significantly to win 43.5 races in 2018/2019. By 2019/2020 a better class of horse was starting to filter through the system resulting in a 64 win haul. Halfway through the current season he’s in tenth spot on the NSW ladder with 45 wins. The closing half of the season promises to be even better.
Brenton Avdulla drives Lion's Roar to the lead to win the Randwick Guineas - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
John and his loyal supporter Jason Abrahams first laid eyes on Lion’s Roar at the 2019 Karaka Yearling Sale when the trainer just happened to notice the colt being exercised outside his box. John was stunned to see he was a son of Contributer, a horse he’d trained during the Godolphin days. “Hartnell was my all time Godolphin favourite, but Contributer was high on the list,” he said.
“He’d won four races in the UK including two at listed level, but definitely found his best form in Australia. He won a Gr 3 at Caulfield before coming to Sydney where he won the Gr 2 Apollo Stakes, the Gr 1 Chipping Norton and the Gr 1 Ranvet Stakes. For a horse who was very effective up to 2000m he had an electric turn of foot. James McDonald once told me he could dash like a top flight sprinter. On top of that he had a beautiful disposition and is a son of High Chapparal.”
Because Lion’s Roar bore a strong resemblance to his sire, Jason and John chased hard at Karaka, securing him for $65,000 NZ. They felt Contributer was the kind of stallion who might “nick” successfully with a mare from a staying family. Lion’s Roar was produced by Minneleo who won four races up to 1800m, while his grand dam The Mighty Lions won a Gr 1 Avondale Cup and finished fourth in two Auckland Cups.
Back in Sydney Jason got to work putting together a syndicate under his Champion Thoroughbreds banner. By the time the syndicate was formulated, Lion’s Roar had a total of 22 owners who are scattered all over Australia - from Cairns in the north, to Perth in the west and throughout NSW. The Cairns shareholder is none other than John O’Shea’s mother Frances.
A special moment for Jason, John and the 22 strong syndicate who race Lion's Roar - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
John identified the Contributer colt as a staying type from early days. He had him gelded as a yearling when his demeanour became a little bullish. “Apart from his stout distaff side, he had all the characteristics of a young horse likely to get a trip,” said the trainer.
O’Shea surprised connections when he opted to send Lion’s Roar all the way to Wagga for his first start in April of 2020. “He needed to get started and the Wagga race was the most suitable at the time,” said John. “The 1200m was an ideal trip on one of the roomiest of the country tracks. Shaun Guymer rode him well, and he overcame difficulties to beat Another One. We had no inkling the runner up would develop into a pretty nice horse. He’ll be one of the favourites in the Country Championship Final next month.”
Following a spell Lion’s Roar had two soft trials at Randwick before finishing a first up second at Newcastle in a BM64. Coincidentally the horse to beat him on the day was MO’Unga who chased him home in the Randwick Guineas. Lion’s Roar then won consecutive BM64 races at Kembla and Newcastle, by which time the Spring Carnival was under way. Such was John’s opinion of the lightly raced gelding that he elected to raise the bar to Gr 1 level in the Spring Champion Stakes.
With Brenton Avdulla in the saddle for the first time, Lion’s Roar did a little bit of early work but enjoyed a cosy run thereafter. A sparkling turn of foot carried him to the lead at the 200m where he was being stalked by Montefilia who’d won the Flight Stakes a week earlier. The classy filly had to pull out all stops to beat Lion’s Roar by three quarters of a length.
It took a good one to beat Lion's Roar in the 2020 Spring Champion Stakes. Top filly Montefilia ran him down in the closing stages - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The gelding looked a little “jolly” when he returned for his autumn campaign in a strong Hobartville Stakes on February 20th under Soft 7 conditions. There was a lot to like about his fifth, only 3 lengths behind the explosive Aegon - a perfect lead up to the mile of the Randwick Guineas.
A strong speed in the Gr 1 on Saturday played into the hands of the backmarkers. Lion’s Roar went back to last from a wide gate, but got a lovely three wide trail behind Aegon from the 1000m. The Contributer gelding “peeled” off their backs on top of the rise, and once again showed the acceleration which is fast becoming his trademark. He quickly established a break which enabled him to stave off the luckless and very talented Mo’Unga.
The smile on John O’Shea’s face said it all. Excited, relieved and grateful to have posted his first Gr 1 win since regenerating his solo training career. To do it for his old friend Jason Abrahams and for a Champion Thoroughbred syndicate, was the icing on the cake.
It was the eleventh anniversary of the last Gr 1 success achieved by O’Shea and Abrahams, when Zabrasive and Nash Rawiller combined to win the 2010 Rosehill Guineas. Lion’s Roar will attempt to win the same race on March 20th.
Jason Abrahams was introduced to racing by his father John, a former Parramatta car dealership principal who’s still enjoying the sport at 88 years of age. John raced many horses with the late Ray Guy, and was a regular visitor to the trainer’s Rosehill stables. Young Jason accompanied his father at every opportunity, rapidly developing a passion for the thoroughbred.
It was no surprise some years later when he founded Champion Thoroughbreds. Jason has restricted his activities to no more than six horses per year, but has unearthed some great talent from those modest numbers.
Jason Abrahams was introduced to racing by his father John who had several horses with the late Ray Guy - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Apart from the aforementioned Zabrasive, Target In Sight won nine races including a Magic Millions Sprint for over $1.1 million, while Kuro won five stakes races and finished third to Brazen Beau in a Gr 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes. He collected well over $700,000.
Lightinthenite was a good money spinner for Champion Thoroughbreds winning a string of races and $629,000, while Hoss Amor won four races including two at listed level for $429,000 in prize money. The Champion Thoroughbreds St Leonards office is managed by Emma Guymer, wife of jockey Shaun Guymer who holds the distinction of riding Lion’s Roar in his maiden win at Wagga. Emma has been a key figure in the operation for more than five years, and is highly regarded by dozens of syndicate members.
Lion’s Roar is the current star colour bearer for the syndication company, but Jason speaks fondly of two other promising horses in the O’Shea stable. Southern Lad has given his large ownership syndicate a great ride with 5 wins and 12 placings for $451,000 while the lightly raced three year old filly Newsreader looks to have a future. The daughter of Press Statement has been impressive in winning two races from only eight starts to date.
Southern Lad has been a great money spinner for Champion Thoroughbreds and John O'Shea. Here's a Randwick win with Tom Marquand - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
Brenton Avdulla’s flurry of excitement as he went past the post on Saturday indicated he too was in need of a change of luck at the elite level. The multiple Group 1 winning jockey is one of a powerful group of riders competing in Sydney. He’s acutely aware that the occasional win at the elite level, is vital to his standing in a ferociously competitive arena.
Lion’s Roar had no idea of the significance of his Randwick Guineas win on Saturday. He became Contributer’s first Gr 1 winner and made it a day to remember for his trainer, jockey, syndicator, and a large group of owners. He’s an uncomplicated, professional racehorse who might strike again during the course of the autumn carnival. He’ll be the cynosure of many eyes when he sports the dazzling Champion Thoroughbreds colours in the Rosehill Guineas on March 20th and the Australian Derby on April 3rd.
If Lion’s Roar happens to win the Derby and Another One the Country Championship Final on April 3rd, the form out of that Wagga 2YO race in April 2020 will be a big talking point.
(Banner image - Lion's Roar (Mitchell Bell) scores the second of his four wins in a BM 64 at Kembla 12/09/2020 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.)