John O’Shea has ruled a line through Le Gai Soleil’s (NZ) (Tavistock) last-start failure on a water-logged track and is expecting her to confirm a spot on his spring carnival team when she lines up at the final meeting of the season at Randwick.
The four-year-old had been racing in great heart but floundered in the extreme conditions when a well-beaten seventh behind Bandersnatch in the Winter Stakes.
O’Shea said she had rebounded from that run and was on target to end the term on a winning note in Saturday’s Moet & Chandon Handicap (1400m).
“It was just way too heavy for her, so I’d just forget she went around,” O’Shea said.
“She has bounced back from that really well and gets the addition of blinkers and a nice draw on Saturday, so there’s no reason she couldn’t bounce back into the winner’s stall.”
Le Gai Soleil was beaten less than four lengths when midfield in the Group Three Pam O’Neill Stakes in Brisbane two starts ago and O’Shea has his sights on chasing further black-type.
He has identified two upcoming provincial features as targets, the Mona Lisa Stakes (1350m) at Wyong on September 3 and Tibbie Stakes (1400m) at Newcastle two weeks later.
“We will keep her ticking over and she’ll head to Wyong for the Mona Lisa and up to Newcastle for the mares race up there. There’s a few options for her, she is a beautiful mare,” he said.
O’Shea will also saddle-up three-year-old Mr Gee, who has struck form since returning from a failed Queensland Derby bid in which he didn’t handle the controversial Eagle Farm track.
He lines up in The Agency Real Estate Handicap (1800m) after posting victories at Canterbury and on the Kensington track at his past two runs.
“We always thought quite nicely of him and he’s done a good job because he has won all his races in the last 12 months,” O’Shea said.
“We’re really happy with where he’s slotting in and he goes around again with a wonderful chance.”
