John O’Shea might call Sydney home but at heart he remains a proud Queenslander.
The top trainer and rugby league fan has recently made a not-so-subtle change to his stable’s racing colours and while he didn’t get the perfect result, he got one that was pretty close.
“I have been trying desperately for a long period of time to acquire the all-maroon and the individual in charge of those was unwilling, so Racing NSW has seen fit to grant me the all-maroon with silver cap,” O’Shea declared proudly.
The colours are, of course, a nod to Queensland’s State Of Origin team, and to O’Shea’s home state.
Jal Lei was O’Shea’s first winner in the colours when she scored at Canterbury on January 22 and she can become his first stakes winner in them if she can topple hype horse Espiona in Saturday’s Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.
O’Shea has taken his time with the filly, who has won three of her four starts, and were it not for the late-spring emergence of horses like Espiona and Fangirl, he would have been going into Saturday’s race with some confidence.
“We always felt she was one of the better fillies until the quality of fillies went from moderate to excellent in the space of two months,” O’Shea said.
“If she had been up and going in the spring, she would have been more than competitive. The autumn fillies look outstanding – you could run fifth and then be a potential Group horse.
“We endeavoured to get her into this race with a slight fitness edge over her opposition and she is presenting into the race with the right profile.
“It’s just going to be a frightfully decent race.”
If Jal Lei can be competitive, the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in two weeks is the logical next step.
Regardless of her performance, O’Shea is looking forward to seeing more of his horses step out in his new racing colours and he says there is no question the silks will be seen on plenty of winners.
“They’re Queensland, there is no other way to be,” he said.