Following the success of Godolphin's British-trained runners at Flemington's Spring Carnival, a team of eight Northern Hemisphere horses has gone into quarantine in Europe to join John O'Shea's team in Sydney.
Qewy (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}) was the star of spring, winning the G3 Geelong Cup and Listed Sandwon Cup as well as finishing fourth in the G1 Emirates Melbourne Cup for Charlie Appleby. His fellow raiders included G3 Lexus S. winner Oceanographer (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and G1 Caufield Cup runner-up Scottish (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), and their performances have seen Godolphin-owned runners plucked from the stables of Andre Fabre and Mark Johnston to head south.
John O'Shea, who has guided the former Johnston charge Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) to two Group 1 victories in Australia, told racing.com, “A lot of research has gone into these horses by [Godolphin's Chief Executive] John Ferguson and the team and I think it's a real vote of confidence in Australian racing that the boss has seen fit to send these horses out. They appear to be a talented bunch and I really look forward to preparing them for races over The Championships.”
Top-rated among those headed down under are Ode To Evening (GB) (Poet's Voice {GB}), a winner under Godolphin's retained jockey in Australia, James McDonald, during his stint in England in the summer, and the French-trained Listed winner Floodlight, who was runner-up to Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the G3 Prix de Guiche.
The remaining horses in the shipment are Big Blue (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), Ancient History (Ire) (Shamardal), Interlocuter (Medaglia d'Oro), Spectroscope (Medaglia d'Oro) and Beijing (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) all from Fabre's Chantilly stable, while New Caledonia (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) joins Ode To Evening in having left Johnston's yard.
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