“To use Rugby League jargon he needed a full season of first grade under his belt to make a real horse of him,” was John O’Shea’s assessment of Lost And Running after the gelding’s gutsy win in Saturday’s Premiere Stakes. “He was far from disgraced in finishing fourth just two lengths behind Nature Strip in last year’s TAB Everest. He was still adjusting to the massive class rise, and I knew in my heart he was twelve months away from reaching the peak of his powers.”
Lost And Running took on the elite field in last year’s Everest at just his tenth race start. He’d won six of his first seven races with an authority that stamped him as an emerging headliner, but he was still a long way off earning his stripes against serious opposition. His 2021 spring preparation began badly when he finished last of eight runners in the Shorts won by Eduardo, but excuses were forthcoming. He began sluggishly and tended to overrace when caught three wide in the run to the hometurn. He was found to be mildly lame in the off hind leg on cooling down. “Best forgotten,” was John O’Shea’s comment after the race.
His next effort was better, although only fourth behind Masked Crusader, Standout and Embracer in the Gr 2 Premiere Stakes. Two weeks later he beat all but the placegetters in the TAB Everest finishing two lengths from Nature Strip, and went even better when second to Eduardo in the Classique Legend Stakes at Rosehill Gardens. Then followed The Hunter in which Lost And Running started a short priced favourite despite a horror barrier draw. Hugh Bowman simply rode him like the best horse in the race, parking three wide outside Prime Candidate and Special Reward to the turn before forging away to win easily. Useful mare Wandabaa was second with Epsom dead heater Top Ranked in third place. A win in a $1 million race is the perfect way to finish a preparation. The paddock beckoned.
Lost And Running travelled wide throughout before scoring an arrogant win in The Hunter of 2021 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
His first up win in the Southern Cross at Randwick in February was impressive enough to warrant a shot at the historic Newmarket. Lost And Running isn’t the first Sydney horse to be baffled by Flemington’s straight 1200m course. He was one of eleven horses to race down the grandstand side of the track. At no stage did he “switch on” finishing fourteenth of seventeen runners just over seven lengths from the long priced winner Roch ‘N’ Horse, who by a massive coincidence is also a son of Per Incanto. With this year’s Everest already in the back of his mind, John decided to send the slow maturing gelding back to the spelling paddock.
On his current campaign, Lost And Running is a veritable “beast”, standing just under 16.1 hands and tipping the scales at a whopping 580kgs - just the way John O’Shea expected him to look as a spring six year old. Following two soft trials he resumed with a very pleasing third in the Shorts behind Nature Strip and Overpass. He finished only 1.4 lengths from the winner after a wide trip, and would have run second in one more stride. The benefit he took from that run was clearly illustrated by his strong win on Saturday.
Lost And Running defeated several likely Everest rivals in Saturday's Premiere Stakes - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
The Per Incanto colt was on John’s shortlist when he attended the 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne. By his own admission he knew little of the stallion Per Incanto, but received the thumbs up from long time stable client Carl Holt who’d been doing some research. “Carl told me he’d been champion NZ first season sire in 2014/2015 and runner up on the two year old ladder,” said the Sydney trainer. “Carl said he was then champion three year old sire by winners and champion second season sire by winners. When he told me Per Incanto was a son of Winx’s sire Street Cry, I got a little keener.
“Carl told me the colt’s dam Dreamlife had done little in three race starts but was a sibling to three stakes winners. He was a big, raw yearling but had a lovely demeanour and moved effortlessly. Even though it was obvious he was going to take plenty of time, we had a throw at the stumps and got him for $40,000. Compare that to the prices paid for two Per Incanto colts at this year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. One went to the Hong Kong Jockey Club for $560,000, while a full brother to Lost And Running went to Ciaron Maher for $340,000. Thanks to Lost And Running and five Gr 1 winners to date, Per Incanto is suddenly in the spotlight.”
John O’Shea had little trouble putting an ownership syndicate together to race his immature Per Incanto colt. “Firstly I got a call from his breeder Lib Petagna who was keen to retain 25%. Carl Holt was obviously quick to put his hand up as were Frank and Christine Cook. With the exception of Sheikh Mohammed, the Cooks may be involved in more horses racing on Australian tracks than any other owner. Such was John’s confidence in the yearling, that he persuaded his charming wife Isabelle to take up the remaining 15%. It’s been one helluva ride so far for the little syndicate.
Lost And Running made a huge statement with his very first win. He sat five wide throughout before winning a Scone maiden by 4.5 lengths with Jeff Penza in the saddle - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
The trainer elected to stay in Sydney with Lost And Running on Saturday, but his thoughts were very much at Flemington with stablemate Maximal who was sent to Melbourne during the week in search of a firmer track. The three quarter brother to iconic racehorse and sire Frankel was to contest the Turnbull Stakes one hour after the Premiere Stakes at Randwick. The royally bred imported horse has been thwarted by wet tracks since arriving in Australia a year ago. He absolutely relished the Good 4 rating at Flemington to finish a gutsy second to Smokin’ Romans in the Gr 1 event. John has a tense time ahead as he waits to see if Maximal makes the “cut” for the Caulfield Cup on October 15th. Should he squeeze into the field another Good 4 track would please his trainer no end.
Maximal’s travelling companion on the trip to Melbourne was Benaud who was a shock late scratching from Saturday’s Metropolitan in Sydney. John was forced to scratch the gelding from the Gr 1 event when it was discovered he’d been inadvertently treated with a prohibited substance outside the official time frame. Benaud is the winner of only one race in eleven starts so far, but his last two efforts in stakes company indicate the lightly raced five year old is a rapid improver. John thinks enough of the horse to pit him against some very talented opposition in next Saturday’s Might And Power Stakes (formerly the Caulfield Stakes).
Benaud charged home to run second to Alegron in the Kingston Town Stakes 17/09/2022. He faces his toughest test this week in the Might And Power Stakes at Caulfield - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
John is looking forward to upcoming assignments for two other members of his team. He’s understandably excited about the recent progress of three year old colt Zou Tiger whose outstanding third to Jacquinot and In Secret in the Golden Rose was a major talking point after the race. Almost “friendless” at $51.00 Zou Tiger crossed to lead from a wide gate and flatly refused to yield in the straight. Still in front at the 100m he fought on tenaciously to hold third behind Jacquinot and In Secret. He finished ahead of the talented Golden Mile and top filly Fireburn. There’ll be no $51.00 on offer next time.
John expects veteran English mare Promise Of Success to make a statement during the Everest carnival. Coincidentally she won a race at Randwick on Everest day last year, and John is hopeful she’ll recapture that kind of form again. Promise Of Success ran a cracking fourth in the Coolmore Classic in the autumn before winning the Emancipation Stakes at black type level.
John O’Shea has been rated among Sydney’s best trainers since beginning his solo career at Warwick Farm in 1999. A Toorak Hcp with Shot Of Thunder in 2002 was the first of his 29 wins at the elite level. In just three years as head trainer for the massive Godolphin operation he won 550 races including ten Gr 1’s. The headlines created by his appointment to the much sought after job, were exceeded by the media reaction to his surprise departure. His journey back to the top as a public trainer has been slow and tedious. Today he’s firmly ensconced among Australia’s best. Another Gr 1 during the spring would take the former Queenslander to the nice round figure of 30. He doesn’t care if it’s in Sydney or Melbourne.
Winners are grinners! John and Glen Boss after Racing To Win's Doncaster triumph in 2006 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
John was a picture of concentration at Randwick on Saturday - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics.
(Banner image - Lost And Running will take further improvement from his win in the Premiere Stakes - courtesy Steve Hart Photographics)