Kirwan’s Lane ‘fresh’ for The Ingham, says O’Shea camp
Ladbrokes rates good-value $14 chance Kirwan’s Lane a “winning chance” in The Ingham at Randwick, and he has the laidback demeanour to match his skills this Saturday.
That was the opinion of his rider, Elizabeth Kalbfleisch, when asked about John O’Shea’s impressive six-year-old gelding.
“He’s a happy little horse. He’s great to be around, and he’s ready for Saturday,” she told HorseBetting.com.au.
“He’s very fresh.”
And despite Lion’s Roar not saluting since his stunning last-to-first victory in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas in March last year, Kalbfleisch also said he was looking strong on the track.
“They’re both more than ready, so I’m excited to see them,” she said.
Lion’s Roar has been given $35 winning odds across horse betting sites, while veteran stablemate Berdibek is a $61 outsider.
More: Randwick tips for December 10, 2022
In what has been an outstanding year for the O’Shea stable, it was not without its disappointments.
Stable star Lost And Running being scratched on the morning of The Everest was a bitter blow for connections of the six-year-old with more than $3 million in prizemoney to his name.
“Very unlucky. He wasn’t 100 per cent this prep,” Kalbfleisch said of the Premiere Stakes winner.
“He had problems with his foot.
“John tried to keep everyone positive. But he’ll be back next year, and hopefully he’ll be even better.”
Kalbfleisch also said she was excited to see the continued development of Promise Of Success and Benaud next year, the respective winner and runner-up from The Invitation and Kingston Town Stakes in their last preparations.
“Promise Of Success was very strong this prep,” she said.
“She came back different. You could see she was more confident and very happy.
“She was getting stronger and stronger, so she definitely deserved her win.
“She’ll probably stay in Sydney because she doesn’t really like travelling.
“It’s very exciting to see Benaud coming back as well.
“His prep was very impressive, and he got stronger and more confident, and he’s progressed a lot.”
O’Shea’s three-year-old gelding Awesome John was a strong two-length winner in a Benchmark 64 Handicap over 1800m at Hawkesbury on Sunday.
“The horse is improving a lot. He’s a big horse, so he has to find his balance with his long legs,” Kalbfleisch said.
“So he’s improved a lot.
“I know John really likes this horse, and he appreciates his progress.
“Every run he’s getting better and better.”