John O’Shea and Tom Charlton eye first Sydney Saturday winner as co-trainers

John O’Shea and Tom Charlton have made a dream start to their new training partnership as they seek their first Sydney Saturday winner at Randwick.

Bartolf gave John O’Shea and Tom Charlton their first win as a training partnership and will now strive to give the pair its first Sydney Saturday winner. Picture: Bradley Photos

Promising two-year-old Bartolf can provide trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton with a winner from their first runner at a Sydney Saturday meeting in the juvenile opener at Royal Randwick.

O’Shea and Charlton, Sydney’s newest training partnership, have Bartolf primed for the TAB Handicap (1400m).

Bartolf was the first runner out of the O’Shea-Charlton stable and earned an enduring place in their training partnership’s unfolding story when the colt won on debut at Scone earlier this month.

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O’Shea, who has been training for 25 years preparing nearly 1800 winners including 29 at Group 1 level including three Doncaster Miles (Private Steer 2004, Racing To Win 2006, It’s Somewhat 2017), two Epsom Handicaps (Racing To Win 2006, Hauraki 2016), two Golden Roses (Exosphere 2015, Astern 2016) and Tancred Stakes (Hartnell), said joining forces with Charlton was a natural progression for the stable.

“I put it on Tom’s radar to do something going into the new season,’’ O’Shea said.

“I think it (training partnership) has a lot of merit in the sense it incorporates youth into what you are doing and with it comes a level of energy and new ideas.

“In the current format, I think a trainer’s career can be expanded as a result. The business has become more seven days a week, 365 days a year.

“So, it is becoming more important to have someone to shoulder a level of responsibility and share the burden.’’

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Charlton is the son of multiple Group 1-winning English trainer, Roger, and has been working for the O’Shea stable for nearly five years.

“Tom comes from a very strong racing family,’’ O’Shea said.

“They live and breathe it so it is not a shock to him and he understands what is involved.’’

Bartolf (So You Think x Lesley’s Choice) wins on his debut down at scone!👌🔥

This was a special win for the stable as it was the first win under the new training partnership🙌

Congratulations to all connections! pic.twitter.com/fgQkR0cL1b

— O'Shea & Charlton Racing (@JohnOSheaRacing) July 2, 2024

Charlton returned to Sydney this week after enjoying a European honeymoon with his wife, Alana, and watched impressive first-starter Yorkshire romp home at Hawkesbury on Thursday to give the new training partnership their second winner from just five starters.

O’Shea and Charlton will be banking on Bartolf continuing the stable’s winning momentum at Royal Randwick.

Bartolf, a well-bred two-year-old by champion So You Think, was so impressive on debut that O’Shea and Charlton have no hesitation in sending the colt straight to Sydney Saturday grade for his second start.

“To have our first runner and first winner with Bartolf at Scone was very satisfying,’’ O’Shea said.

“It has been hard to get horses to the races in recent weeks with the (wet) weather.’’

O’Shea said he wanted to give Bartolf a “good experience” for his race debut and choose to travel the horse to the spacious Scone racetrack which has a long home straight of more than 400m.

“Scone is a true test,’’ O’Shea explained.

“Some tracks are barrier dependent but Scone and Goulburn are two tracks that give horses an opportunity to show their wares.

“It is usually a true reflection of the quality of the animal.’’

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O’Shea said the cost of transporting a horse to race at Scone rather than a closer provincial racetrack is off-set by what he described as prizemoney that is “sufficiently rewarding.’’

But the champion trainer believes a course like Scone could be better utilised as a race day venue particularly given so many NSW racetracks are waterlogged after a very wet winter.

Bartolf handled the heavy 10 surface with relative ease on debut so O’Shea believes Randwick’s Heavy 8 track rating should not be detrimental to the colt’s winning chances.

In early TAB Fixed Odds betting, Bartolf is at $4.20 second favouritism behind another youngster protecting an unbeaten record, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Wanaruah at $2.20.

Tom Charlton (left) has joined John O’Shea as a training partner. Picture: Justin Lloyd

The O’Shea-Charlton stable also has first starter Kenmare Bay ($18) entered for the two-year-old opener.

The juvenile is also entered for the two-year-old maiden at Newcastle.

Kenmare Bay did win a barrier trial easily at Hawkesbury on a Heavy 10 surface last month so the youngster should also be able to handle the rain-affected track either at Randwick or Newcastle.

O’Shea is also upbeat about the chances of three-year-old Captain Amelia in the I Love 0% Cocktails Handicap (1400m) at the Randwick meeting.

Captain Amelia, a three-year-old filly by champion sire Dundeel, has been placed only once in four starts this campaign but O’Shea believes she is ready to run a competitive race.

“She is a filly that can’t draw a barrier. One day in her life she will draw a gate,’’ O’Shea said of Captain Amelia who has to start out of gate 11.

“But she is a good wet-tracker.’’

O’Shea and Charlton have reason to look forward with confidence to the new racing season with the stable boasting some serious spring carnival contenders.

They include exciting rising three-year-old colt Linebacker, winner of two of his three races during his juvenile season including the Listed Baillieu Handicap before his narrow loss to Godolphin’s boom colt Broadsiding in the Group 1 Champagne Stakes.

“Linebacker’s been back in work for a while,’’ O’Shea said.

“He’s an entire so we didn’t want to give him too long a spell.

“We look forward to what he could do in the spring, hopefully when we get him out to a mile and 2000m.

“The plan is to go to the Caulfield Guineas and then we will work out where we go with him.’’

Yorshire was dominant winner at Hawkesbury for the O’Shea and Charlton stable. Picture: Bradley Photos

The O’Shea-Charlton stable also boasts some talented young sprinters set to make their mark next season including Schwarz, Roselyn’s Star and unbeaten comeback galloper Sydney Bowler.

Schwarz won the Listed Hawkesbury Guineas during the autumn carnival and Roselyn’s Star showed potential in his juvenile season including his second behind Espionage in the Group 3 Kindergarten Stakes.

“We have Schwarz ready to barrier trial soon,’’ O’Shea said.

“He ran in Queensland which wasn’t to his advantage the way the track was that day but he’s coming up well and we plan to run him first-up in the Missile Stakes (August 10).

“Roselyn’s Star is a very nice colt, he’s also back in work and we are happy with him.’’

Sydney Bowler, unbeaten in three starts, has made a complete recovery after being trapped in the barriers and withdrawn prior to the Magic Millions Guineas back in January.

“The Magic Millions incident hasn’t scarred him, he has been through the gates with no issues,’’ O’Shea said.

“He’s back on track now and is also ready to go back to the trials soon.’’

Originally published as John O’Shea and Tom Charlton eye first Sydney Saturday winner as co-trainers