It has been a quarter of a century since John O’Shea landed his first Group win as a standalone trainer when Grey And Gold claimed the Villiers Stakes.
Another win followed with On A High, and in 2022 he secured the inaugural edition of the race as The Ingham (1600m) with Kirwin’s Lane.
Over time, O’Shea has become one of Australia’s premier trainers, responsible for 32 Group 1 victories — three achieved alongside current training partner Tom Charlton.
On Saturday, they team up again at Randwick in pursuit of O’Shea’s fourth win in the race.
“Obviously, a lot of water has gone under the bridge, but it’s a race that has always been very dear to me and let’s hope we can be competitive again,” O’Shea said.
Charlton’s rise has injected youth and enthusiasm into the stable, something O’Shea values highly.
He has long championed young talent, including helping bring James McDonald to Sydney early in his career.
“I think it’s always important to embrace youth,” O’Shea said.
“A lot of the people we have working for us are young and enthusiastic and Tom is an extension of that.
“We’ve got a good relationship… we complement each other. Tom does certain things very well, possibly things I don’t enjoy, while I take on the tougher aspects that come with experience.”
The stable’s Ingham hope Yorkshire looks set to be a major fixture over the coming seasons.
He has won seven of his 10 starts and rebounded from a heart arrhythmia in The Hunter to win the Festival Stakes (1500m).
O’Shea rates him highly — perhaps the best he has entered for the race aside from It’s Somewhat, who carried 59kg in the Villiers.
“This horse has ended up very well weighted (53kg) and probably has the best record of any horse we’ve run in it,” he said.
He also noted the depth of the field.
“Gringotts would be competitive in any Doncaster Mile. Sabaj looks to have great form. Estadio Mestalla has great form. There’s a Caulfield Cup winner (Duke De Sessa) in there. It’s a pretty strong race.”
Yorkshire has been backed from $6 to $4.80, while Gringotts has eased in early markets.
For those betting on the Randwick feature, you can compare leading bookmakers at JHR’s bookmaker hub.
