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The second wave of juveniles from the powerful Godolphin team are beginning to emerge as autumn plans for Golden Slipper favourites Ottoman and Furnaces are firmed up by head trainer John O'Shea.
The Commands colt has only had one public outing, when beaten a half-length by Haptic in a Rosehill barrier trial on January 6 but the pair spaced the rest of their rivals by eight lengths and ran fast time.
"It was a very good trial from a strong, strapping type that looks like 1400 metres and beyond will be his trip. On the trial, he should be competitive on Saturday, but he is only going to get better with time," O'Shea said. "He has shown us enough to say he is a bit above average.
"We are just getting these horses coming through at the right time for them and have let [them] find their feet. He and Ghisoni [an impressive trial winner at Randwick on Thursday] are part of our later season two-year-olds and we could be looking to them in the winter."
Ghisoni, a daughter of Lonhro, took care of a couple of Gai Waterhouse's early season winners, Pierrette and Breeders Plate winner Vancouver, in her first public appearance at Randwick on Thursday. She stretched out in the final 200 metres to win the trial, leaving James McDonald smiling when he came back.
"She is a very smart filly that we think we get to black-type level and that didn't surprise us," O'Shea said. "I think James was impressed. These horses are important to the operation and they will get their chances in the right races."
O'Shea was given the brief to concentrate on his juvenile team when he took over at Crown Lodge last May and has sorted the team out in good fashion. There have been a number of impressive winners but two stand out. Ottoman was made favourite for the Golden Slipper after she overcome difficulties to score on debut at Rosehill in December and will return next month. She usurped Furnaces at the top of Slipper betting. He was the opening favourite after a 6-1/2-length demolition job on his debut at Rosehill in October.
"We are looking to qualify as many as possible for the Golden Slipper and will be trying to keep them apart as much as possible," O'Shea said. "Being a filly and colt helps for Ottoman and Furnaces and they will be trialling soon and then we will shore up where they will start [their autumn campaigns].
"Furnaces is a little ahead of the filly and he will be at the trials at Rosehill on February 3. Ottoman will be a week later at Warwick Farm on February 9. We want to accumulate as much prizemoney as possible with our two-year-olds and then we will decide which is the best way to go with them. We are not limiting where they could go. The targets are, of course, the big two-year-old races but there is plenty of the water to go under bridge before then."
It will be a quiet day for Godolphin on Saturday, with stayer Sinjoren the only other runner for O'Shea at Randwick. He returned to form when running third last start over the same course. "Just getting back on a firm track really helped last time. He is drawn a bit awkward on Saturday but he is going well enough to suggest he will be running on again," O'Shea said.
