John O’Shea loves Randwick mile features as he chases back-to-back success in The Ingham

Trainer John O’Shea saddles up a trio of chances in The Ingham as he chases more mile success at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

John O'Shea is a three-time winner of The Ingham, which was formerly known as the Villiers Stakes. Picture: AAP

John O’Shea reckons there’s something extra special about winning over the famous Royal Randwick mile and he’s certainly made a habit doing it.

The Randwick trainer has saved some of his biggest days of his career for his home track with a seven of the trainer’s 29 career Group 1s coming over renowned track and distance.

That includes three Doncaster Miles, two Epsom Handicaps, a George Main Stakes and a Randwick Guineas, thanks largely to the success of his former headline horse Racing To Win.

But the true origin of the winning love affair might be traced back to a breakthrough win back in 2000.

Grey And Gold helped put O’Shea on the map as a young trainer when the gelding snared his maiden stakes win in the Group 2 The Villiers that year.

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A second win in the race followed with On A High (2003) before nearly two decades on O’Shea completed a treble in the race last year when Kirwan’s Lane led home a stable quinella with Lion’s Roar in the race, now known as The Ingham.

“I just love the Randwick mile features,” O’Shea said.

“I’ve won The Ingham a few times and it’s always a damn good race to be involved in.

“Obviously now it has significantly more relevance because of the prizemoney going up and the importance of the day, given the family the race is now named after.”

O’Shea will return to home turf on Saturday in pursuit of another Randwick mile when Kirwan’s Lane, Lion’s Roar and Dark Destroyer contest the $2m The Ingham (1600m).

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TAB rates Lion’s Roar ($8.50) as clearly the best of O’Shea’s chances to add to his terrific Randwick mile feature record with Kirwan’s Lane ($41) and Dark Destroyer ($81).

Detonator Jack is the $4.20 favourite.

Lion’s Roar’s last victory came over the same track and trip but that was more than two years ago when he won Randwick Guineas in March, 2021 – O’Shea’s first win in the coveted three-year-old race.

The son of Contributor has been racing better than that stat suggests and been hampered by wide gates throughout this preparation.

Kirwan’s Lane won The Ingham last year is big odds to go back-to-back on Saturday. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

Lion’s Roar nearly defied drawing barrier 20 with 62kg last start when runner up to Spangler in the Little Dance but gets into The Ingham with just 53.5kg on his back and a good draw in barrier five.

“Lion’s Roar has had some bad gates this year so hopefully he gets his chance this time,” O’Shea said.

“He is just going so well and all his runs have been first class. He really raced well the other day with a big weight and we are going into the race thinking he is a legitimate chance.

“I think the race is harder this year albeit Atishu ran in last year’s race so it was decent enough last year. He is going better this year and carries less weight.”

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Tom Sherry had the ride on Lion’s Roar while Kirwan’s Lane has the returning Josh Parr, who rode Overpass to victory in last week’s Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes.

Kirwan’s Lane is chasing his first victory since winning the same race last year and should get his chance from a perfect draw in barrier two.

“Kirwan’s Lane has raced well all season from unsuitable gates and he has finally got a gate to suit him,” O’Shea said.

“He loves being soft draw, suck up on the inside and run well. He will get that opportunity on Saturday.

“He is trialling well, racing well and weighted well so there is no reason why he can’t be competitive again.”

Kirwan’s Lane has had a start since his fourth in the Filante Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on October 21 but that hasn’t by design.

O’Shea had hoped to run the talented galloper in The Gong late last month before a wide draw saw the gelding scratched from the Kembla Grange mile.

“We have been pottering about with a view to get him to this race each year because he is such a good Randwick miler,” O’Shea said.

“He gets too much weight at Group 1 level and is a beautiful Group 3, Group 2 horse so it’s another chance for him to go back to back.”

Lion’s Roar won the Randwick Guineas over the mile in 2021. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

Dark Destroyer only joined O’Shea yard from Kiwi trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott at the beginning of this preparation.

The son of Proisir is a Group 1 winner in New Zealand but O’Shea is still working out how he measures up in Australia.

“We just want to get through and find a level where he is competent at,” O’Shea said.

“He is a very talented horse at home and obviously he is a much better horse when he finds his toe in the ground but I can’t speak highly enough of him.

“He is a talented horse that has made a massive step forward off his first up run.”

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Dark Destroyer did enough in his Australian debut in The Hunter last month where he settled last in the run and only got warm late to pass a handful of runners home.

“We were really happy with Dark Destroyer’s debut. He raced very well,” O’Shea said.

“It was probably a better performance than Lion’s Roar did in the same race last year. It was more than acceptable.

“We are really happy with where he is at.”

O’Shea’s only other runner on the card is the smart sprinter Waihaha Falls in the Listed Razor Sharp Stakes (1200m).

Waihaha Falls finished a close second to Sky Command in the same event last year and is an $8.50 chance to go one better this year.

The son of Sacred Falls, to be ridden by Tommy Berry, goes into the race a month between runs after a first up fifth over the Randwick 1200m on November 7.

“Waihaha Falls loves that month between runs and the six furlongs at Randwick,” O’Shea said.

“If the rain did come on the day, it would be right up his alley and he could run very well.”

O’Shea will jet off to New Zealand on Sunday in a bid to discover his next generation of stars ahead of next month’s Karaka Sale.

“It’s a busy time of year,” he said.

“We will be off to New Zealand to inspect the yearlings so it’s never boring.”