NZ Bred Sprinter Begins Everest Ascent

Media Release - Tuesday September 14

New Zealand-bred gelding Lost And Running will begin his ascent towards the A$15 million The Everest (1200m) next month when he lines-up in the Gr.2 The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick on Saturday.

It will be the son of Per Incanto’s first run of the spring but trainer John O’Shea was pleased with his 1000m trial at Randwick last Friday where he finished runner-up behind Classique Legend.

Lost and Running - image Steve Hart.

“If you know where he is in terms of his fitness and preparation, you had to be happy. He came through it well and had a good day out,” O’Shea told SENTrack.

O’Shea is looking forward to Saturday with Lost And Running but expects his rivals to be a bit too sharp for his charge first-up.

“It is a pretty exciting week. It is a race with a fair bit of anticipation and enormous quality,” O’Shea said.

“We will be happy to blow out a few cobwebs and get close to them in the run. If we do that then we will know we are in the mix for later in the season.

“On Saturday they are probably going to be a bit sharp for him. He is not a genuine five and a half (furlong, 1100m) horse. He has won over five and a half (furlongs) against inferior opposition, but on Saturday he will be there bowling along at his leisure and let the race unfold in front of him.”

Lost And Running has accrued a formidable form line, having won six of his seven starts, and finished runner-up in his only other outing.

His ticket for The Everest was secured with his last start victory in the Listed Lukin Star Stakes (1300m), with O’Shea rating him the best sprinter he has had in his care.

“He is the best sprinter I have ever trained, but I haven’t trained a great deal of fast horses,” O’Shea said.

Advertisement

“Hopefully he can show that. But the best thing about him is that he will get better with each preparation.

“To be fair to the horse, this is all coming a bit soon for him but in the scheme of the opportunity to run in a race like this, it shouldn’t be denied.

“He is definitely worthy of his place in the race and if he can give a good account of himself this year, there is no doubting that the following season will probably give him a better chance of being successful.”

O’Shea is also looking forward to lining up fellow Kiwi-bred, Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) winner Lion’s Roar, in the Gr.1 George Main Stakes (1600m) on Saturday.

The son of Contributer beat just one horse home in the Gr.2 Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick earlier this month, but that hasn’t fazed O’Shea, with the gelding having a perfect second-up record.

“He always bounces second-up at a mile at Randwick,” O’Shea said. “He has definitely got fitter from there and we are looking for a much-improved performance on Saturday.”

O’Shea also has his fingers-crossed weather will continue to improve in the lead-up to the weekend, with Lion’s Roar favouring a firm surface.

“He needs dry ground,” O’Shea said. “We have had a bit of rain in Sydney this week, but hopefully from now until Saturday we get good drying weather and the ground firms up for him. He is significantly better on top of the ground.”

O’Shea, in conjunction with good friend Jason Abrahams of Champion Thoroughbreds, purchased Lion’s Roar from the Book 2 draft of Bill Gleeson’s Wellfield Lodge for $65,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling sale. – NZ Racing Desk

Visit the profile page for Per Incanto

Per Incanto in upcoming sales:
Advertisment
More Reading...
Transatlantic Takes $1million Five Diamonds Prelude
Transatlantic’s lucrative spring carnival continued at Randwick with an arrogant victory in the $1m Five Diamonds Prelude.
Impressive First winner for Armory
Mapperley Stud stallion Armory recorded his first winner on Sunday when his two-year-old daughter Silhouette raced to a dominant victory in the Fusion Electrical Two-Year-Old (900m) at Trentham.
From FNQ To Sha Tin - Aussie Bred Sprinter Wins G2 Premier Bowl
Some horses arrive in Hong Kong with a very different back story - Fresh from winning the $20million The Everest with Ka Ying Rising, David Hayes was back in the winner’s list at Sha Tin on Sunday when Tomodachi Kokoroe won the Group II Premier Bowl (1200m).
Hi Yo Sass Bomb Wins G3 on Sunday
Kim Reid bypassed a Group One in favour of Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham with Hi Yo Sass Bomb, a decision that paid dividends when the mare led from the outset to claim her third stakes success.
Sale Cup Winner Adds to Fastnet Rock Super Weekend
It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).
Early Return Home for Cogburn
Group I winning Not This Time son Cogburn (USA) will return to WinStar Farm in Kentucky earlier than planned after disappointing fertility results during his first Australian covering season at Widden Stud.
New Cup Goal for Wolfgang
It may not be the Cup target they were aiming for, but Wolfgang put himself firmly into Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) calculations following his victory in the SkyCity Hamilton Waikato Cup Prelude (2400m) at Te Rapa on Monday.
Melbourne Cup Dream Alive for kiwi Stayers
Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) dreams are still alive for connections of Kiwi stayers Mark Twain and Trav.
Rewarding Weekend for Waikato Stud
A double strike at stakes level, a filly with a black-type future and a welcome family success handed Waikato Stud another rewarding weekend.
Sires With Winners - Saturday October 25
Here is the full list of 136 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.