STABLE UPDATE; Godolphin Report from John O'Shea

Trainer John O’Shea reports on the Team Godolphin runners on April 22.

RANDWICK April 22

RACE 1 – 2YO Handicap (1100m)

SIAM: “Siam raced really well in Victoria. At the time I was a little bit disappointed in some of his performances, but he’s got form around Catchy and really good-class two-year-olds. He’s trialled well and worked well but I don’t know about him on rain-affected ground. He’s a nice horse, just a tier below the top grade, so that will have him competitive on Saturday.”

RACE 2 – 3YO Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m)

TESSERA: “Tessera has had a long preparation leading up to this. He’s a Group-winning horse who I don’t think is too badly weighted. He worked very well on Tuesday morning and he’s the class horse in the race.”

RACE 4 - Benchmark 78 Handicap (2400m)

DIVINE SANCTION: “He’s been desperate to get on a big track at a mile-and-a-half. He’s very one-paced and he runs the trip strongly, but if he gets impeded at any stage of the race it takes him a furlong to get himself balanced up again, so Randwick will suit. He’s been carrying big weights and been effective and he gets a bit of weight relief as well. He’ll run a good, honest race.”

RACE 8 - Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m)

TALLY: “He’s come through the run well, he was pulled up at the 1200. We’ve been really optimistic about getting him to two miles. The barriers will be important because you’ll need to get to the better part of the track. He definitely hasn’t gone backwards since the first running of the race.”

RACE 10 - F&M Benchmark 78 Handicap (1400m)

COTTAGE: “We’re desperate for some dry ground, she’s working really well. She just needs to get herself back in the game a bit after her first-up run on really heavy ground. If it’s still very heavy on Saturday we’ll probably leave her at home.”

Charlie Appleby reported through the Godolphin website on his Sydney Cup pair PENGLAI PAVILION and POLARISATION.

"Both lost a minimal amount of weight, and they ate up well afterwards. James Ferguson and the team on the ground in Sydney have been very happy with them, and we expect both to acquit themselves well on Saturday.

In reference to addition of Winkers for Penglai Pavilion - "It is not questioning his genuineness, it is more a matter of helping him to focus. We tried them on him a couple of days ago (at Canterbury) and he reacted favourably.

"I feel the same as I did going into the original contest. If the 'on his game' Penglai Pavilion turns up, he has the class to go very close.

Polarisation, on the other hand, wears his heart on his sleeve. He is tough and genuine, and he stays very well.