TALENTED DUO GIVE O'SHEA A RACE TO RACE DOUBLE

By Graham Potter | Thursday, March 25, 2021

Trainer John O'Shea would have bene well please with the scoreboard at Randwick after going home with an impressive debut winner and a runner who maintained his unbeaten record

The New Zealand bred Waihaha Falls made no mistake on debut coming home a little bit more comfortably than the official 0.50 length winning margin suggests under a perfect ride from Tom Marquand.

Waihaha Falls was given the run of the race, settling in third place stalking the speed until the turn. Marquand then tracked a tighter line into the home straight than the horses in front of him and he quickly ranged up alongside the leaders.

By the 200m he had established what turned out to be a winning advantage, although Marquand did continue to push Waihaha out, keeping his mind on the job, teaching the first-timer how to hit the line.

Trainer John O’Shea put the win in perspective.

“Look, he is just a very talented horse,” said O’Brien. “He is a horse that we came here with thinking he might just lack a bit of seasoning … just having had the one trial.

“Obviously, drawing the one barrier and not having to do a lot of work helped him. He looked around a bit when he got to the front. I’ve just got a really good opinion of him.

“I’m very happy for his ownership group back in New Zealand. We watched his trial as a green, young horse and they were kind enough to send him over on the strength of that trial … and they have been justified with that decision. I think he has got a very bright future.’

Tm Marquand agreed with O’Shea.

“Without a doubt he has got a bright future,” said Marquand. ‘He has got this air of rawness about him and, to be honest, it surprised me how sharp he was early doors to jump and get a position as well as he did.

“That was probably more testament to his class than anything else.

‘I didn’t think I would take two lengths out of the favourite as quickly as I did and so I ended up in front a bit too soon.

“He was definitely value for a bit more and there is definitely more to come from him.”
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It was a race to race double for the John O’Shea stable as Lost and Running maintained his perfect record with a solid win over the Kensington 1100m taking his career record to four wins from four starts.

The race was run in pouring rain leading to the track conditions to be revised from a heavy 8 down to a heavy 9.

Lost And Running only jumped fairly but James McDonald wasted little time in railing through to takes up the running, from which time the result was never in doubt with the 3.50 length margin of victory emphasising the grip that Lost And running held on the result throughout the contest.

"t is always nice to see them get the job done … obviously in trying conditions,” said O’Shea.

“He is on the board again and hopefully that will bring him along nicely for a third-up run in a couple of weeks. He does it like that … there is a stride or two when he hesitates and then he lowers and away he goes.

“It is very difficult in these conditions because he is still learning his craft.”

James McDonald gave full credit to the horse.

“He is a horse … you think you have got to the bottom of him and he just seems to find more … which is a great sign.

“He always wins with his ears pricked … always got something in store.

‘I know he is very fast over 1000m, but I feel six furlongs is right up his alley and he could get further than that,” said McDonald.