Missile Stakes winner Schwarz spelled after first-up gut-buster as spring campaign takes hit

Trainer John O’Shea has sent Schwarz to the paddock following his gut-busting Missile Stakes win which has left his spring campaign up in the air.

Schwarz was a narrow winner of the Missile Stakes last month. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Group 1 aspirations have been put on hold for recent Group 2 Missile Stakes winner Schwarz with trainer John O’Shea revealing the smart stallion prospect had been sent to the paddock following a taxing first-up run.

O’Shea and co-trainer Tom Charlton had originally hoped the smart sprinter would line up in last Saturday’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield but Schwarz was sent for a freshen up.

Schwarz, raced by the breeders Rosemont Stud, had added an important Group 2 to his excellent resume with a first-up victory in the Missile Stakes at Royal Randwick.

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Schwarz rockets home to take the G2 Missile Stakes at Randwick, and it's a double to @mcacajamez as well as @JohnOSheaRacing! 🖤@aus_turf_clubpic.twitter.com/lpUsCGrwtr

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 10, 2024

“That first-up run just gutted him, it was a most harder run than we wanted to have,” O’Shea said.

“We just put him in the paddock and let him get over it there.

“I don’t know (what will we do with him). We will reassess him in two weeks.

“I would have loved to run him in the Memsie but he just wasn't ready for it.”

The setback comes as O’Shea and Charlton enjoy a terrific start to their training partnership and the new season with 13 winners from 37 runners to start the 2024/25 campaign.

They will attempt to continue the trend with a pair of Sydney stakes runners this weekend when More Territories lines up in the Group 2 $300,000 Furious Stakes (1200m) while The Metropolitan contender Athabascan is back in the Group 2 $300,000 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m).

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More Territories ($16) was a winner in his debut run as a two-year-old on Randwick’s Kensington track in March before racing without a lot of room when sixth in the Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes.

She is first-up from a spell in the second leg of the Princess Series with Tyler Schiller aboard.

“She is going well,” O’Shea said.

“She needed another trial and has had that now.

“I think she is ready to run well, she is fit and the six furlongs first up should be perfect for her.”

Athabascan returns in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

Athabascan ($26) will be short of his best in the Chelmsford Stakes but has returned in good order for his second Australian spring campaign.

The talented imported stayer holds nominations for the Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup and was less seen finishing runner up to Circle Of Fire in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m)

“It’s just a starting point for Athabascan but he is great form,” O’Shea said.

“His trials have been good by his standards and he goes to a race like the Metrop and we will go from there.”

Jockey Jason Collett pilots Athabascan.

Originally published as Missile Stakes winner Schwarz spelled after first-up gut-buster as spring campaign takes hit