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Trainer John O’Shea has drawn the line at around a soft 7 to give promising three-year-old Schwarz his chance to score a consolation win in Saturday’s Group 3 $250,000 Workers Club Group Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m).
Schwarz has a hard luck story to tell from his major autumn target the Group 2 Arrowfield Sprint (1200m) where he was badly held up on the inside and wound up two lengths from the winner Joliestar.
John O'Shea says the colt is a real talent, possibly top shelf talent, and hopes he gets his chance to show what he's made of if the Hawkesbury track holds up to forecast rain.
"We set him for that race (the Arrowfield) and didn't get any luck. He didn't do much (work) so he's in pretty good form,'' O'Shea said.
"It's a good race for him. I think he's a genuine Group 1 horse potentially going forward.
"I'm sure he will handle wet ground and there's a lot to like about him. If it's too wet he won't run, I wouldn't run him on a 10 or something that's horrendous."
James Mcdonald will be in charge of righting the ship on Schwarz, $3.10 with TAB on Friday, who has again drawn an inside alley in barrier two.
Interestingly, in both his wins to date Schwarz has led and controlled the race but O'Shea said it'll be up to McDonald to sum up the situation.
The Randwick trainer is enthusiastic about Fall For Cindy's chances of keeping her unbeaten second-up record intact in the Lawn Shed Handicap (1400m).
It's been a month since her eye-catching third at Warwick Farm on Easter Monday behind Green Shadows and while she was scratched from a subsequent engagement O'Shea said she's been kept up to the mark.
"She's got a great chance,'' he said.
"She's a great wet tracker, a good second-up record, she's working really well and with the claim she's got a postage stamp. She's probably one of our better chances on the weekend."
It's likely stablemate Sanstoc will take her place in the Group 3 $250,000 Pioneer Services Hawkesbury Crown (1400m) if she gains a start in preference to clashing with Fall For Cindy.
The five-year-old opened her last campaign with placings in the Mona Lisa and Tibbie Stakes before her form tapered off and O'Shea feels that might be the key to her.
She's had the two trials leading in and is another that O'Shea will stay on weather watch for.
"She's a mare that her best runs are early in her preparation,'' he said.
"I don't think she will handle it heavy but she should handle it soft."
