Straight to the Autumn for Shamexpress

Trainer Danny O’Brien will resist the temptation of running Shamexpress in the Group 1 weight-for-age Patinack Classic on Saturday following the colt's huge third placing in the Coolmore on Saturday.

Instead the Flemington trainer is thinking ahead to the Autumn Carnival with the son of O’Reilly and the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap down the famous Flemington straight is fairly on the agenda.

“He is a very good straight horse and a race like the Newmarket for him as a three-year-old would be ideal,” O’Brien said.

“This horse loves the straight and with a touch more luck in the Coolmore he would have pushed Nechita right to the line, so heading that way seems the right option.”

Shamexpress drew wide in the Coolmore and jockey Damien Oliver was forced to start his run from the 600m mark when it was apparent the horses he was following were not going to cart him into the race.

“I thought he was going to win when got onto the course proper, but a couple of these other ones had cushy runs in behind the speed and were able to pop out and make their runs at the 250m,” Oliver said.

“This horse just kept coming and I am sure his sectionals would have been sensational. He is a very nice horse,” he said.

It’s this appraisal that has O’Brien focussed on the feature Autumn sprints with the three-year-old colt.

“We don’t need to go to the well too often this campaign as the Autumn will be on us quite quickly, so we will freshen him up before giving him his chance to make a name for himself in races like the Oakleigh Plate and Newmarket Handicap.”

Photo by Slickpix, to view Slickpix website click here