Shane Oxlade ‘couldn’t be happier’ with gun sprinter Sghirripa ahead of Gilgai Stakes

Trainer Shane Oxlade says Sghirripa is in top order ahead of the SA sprinter’s trip to Flemington for the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes on Saturday.

Sghirripa wins the Standish Handicap at Flemington. Picture: Pat Scala/Racing Photos via Getty Images

Woodchester-based trainer Shane Oxlade is eager to return to Flemington with sharp sprinter Sghirripa, and the gelding is in top order ahead of a second-up run in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) on Saturday.

Oxlade nominated the speedy son of Lonhro for last Friday’s Group 1 Manikato Stakes, but opted against running him on The Valley’s smaller circuit, instead waiting an extra week to step out at Flemington – where the gelding won the Group 3 Standish Handicap (1200m) in January.

“Had it been an eight-horse race, or something like that, I would’ve been prepared to take the punt at The Valley, I just thought we were gonna end up back in the race, finding it hard to make ground and especially giving them a head start,” Oxlade, who trains in partnership with daughter, Cassie, said.

“We were happy to give that a miss and go to the Gilgai this week.”

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Sghirripa produced an encouraging first-up run in the Listed W H Wylie Handicap (1100m) at Morphettville in September, hitting the line solidly behind Press Down and Marble Nine despite beginning awkwardly from the gates.

“The damage was probably done early in the race, the horse that ran second (Marble Nine), mustered quicker than him and when it mustered it sort of ran out under his neck and shifted out a couple of horses, it probably stopped us being that pair closer,” he said.

“If we lobbed a pair closer it’s probably a different result, but the horse raced really well, again it was the quickest last 600m, he got home in 32.4 (sec) or something to that effect.”

You bloody Sghirripa 🤩

The South Australian takes out the Standish Handicap in a canter for Shane & Cassie Oxlade ⚡️ @craig_newittpic.twitter.com/louwWnbCEY

— Racing.com (@Racing) January 13, 2024

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Oxlade has been impressed with what he’s seen from Sghirripa since the first-up third, and has Group 1-winning hoop Harry Coffey booked to ride on Saturday.

“The horse is really well, I couldn’t be happier with him, he’s done everything you could ask of him,” he said.

“He worked Friday morning, Lauren (Stojakovic) was really happy with him, she said ‘he worked enormous, they just don’t work any better than that’.

“He did a little bit more work on Tuesday, not a lot, just a bit of evens, again she (Lauren) was really happy. He’ll probably improve again off that (Saturday) – but I couldn’t be happier with him.”

Sghirripa has had three starts at Flemington, a fourth-placed finish in a Handicap (1100m) last year, and seventh in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) in March, alongside his Standish Handicap win.

“His form at Flemington is really good, he’s never dwelled at the start (there) either, he’s always began really well, I’m pretty keen to go back there,” Oxlade said.

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The $2m Sydney Stakes (1200m) is a possible landing spot for Sghirripa on October 19 at Randwick, while Oxlade is also eyeing the Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on November 9.

“If he was to win Saturday, he may stay in Melbourne and then head up (to Sydney) for that, there wouldn’t be any point in bringing him home as it’s a fortnight after Saturday,” he said.

“It’s either do something like that, or just stay home and go to the Darley at the end of the carnival.”

Sghirripa is currently an $11 chance with TAB fixed odds for Saturday’s Gilgai Stakes.

Originally published as Shane Oxlade ‘couldn’t be happier’ with gun sprinter Sghirripa ahead of Gilgai Stakes