John O’Shea is expressing confidence that Peyton has moved past his early career dramas as the promising three-year-old colt heads to Flemington on Tuesday.
The Zoustar colt was passed in at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale after failing to meet the $500,000 reserve, leading breeder Rosemont Stud to retain ownership.
Although it took four starts to break his maiden status, O’Shea and training partner Tom Charlton have set their sights on group racing.
His form includes races against top-class horses of his age, such as The Next Episode and St Gotthard, who quinellaed the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes on Saturday.
Peyton will make his third-up appearance in the Schweppervescence Plate (1000m), and O’Shea is pleased with the colt’s return to racing.
“I had him entered last at Flemington on Cox Plate Day but he didn’t travel that well so I left him an extra week and it has done him the world of good,” O’Shea commented.
“We gave him a little tickover trial at Flemington on Friday to blow out a few cobwebs and I think he’ll run very well although it is a bit short of his best.
“It will also give him a chance to have a look up the straight.”
Peyton’s last start was a fifth-place finish in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) on October 10, behind stablemate Satono Glow. Prior to that, he broke his maiden at Gosford in August.
His initial preparation was not without its challenges.
“He just kept doing a few things (wrong),” O’Shea said.
“He hit his head in the gate one day at Warwick Farm and missed a run and then he had a little cough so nothing was going right that prep.
“He’s a really talented horse so hopefully he can break through on Tuesday.”
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