Racing: O'Shea maps plan for Racing To Win

For the first time in a long time John O'Shea doesn't have to worry about keeping Racing To Win in one piece.

Rather than patching up the stable champion, the Randwick trainer is keenly eyeing off major spring targets.

The 7-year-old lines up in the Theo Marks Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill today and O'Shea could not be happier with the horse.

O'Shea has mapped out a plan for the five-time Group One winner which so far includes the George Main Stakes and the Caulfield Stakes.

Whether he contests the Cox Plate (2040m) in late October will depend on his next few runs.

Racing To Win ran an unlucky first-up fourth to Trusting in the Warwick Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on August 22. He was blocked for a run near the 250m and only got out late but still managed to hit the line with plenty of purpose.

O'Shea said before the Warwick Stakes it was the first time in a while that Racing To Win had not had any setbacks in a preparation.

Racing To Win has the topweight of 60kg in the Theo Marks and has drawn the widest gate, 11.

Offsetting the weight and the barrier is his second-up record which shows four wins from five starts.

"He's made nice improvement since the run.

"He's obviously got a lot of weight but we are very, very happy with him," O'Shea said on Thursday.

"I was very pleased with the effort last start. I think if he had got a break where he wanted it he would have run past O'Lonhro and O'Lonhro got beaten three-quarters of a length in second, so it would have had him in the finish."

O'Lonhro subsequently cruised to victory in last Saturday's Group Two Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.

Racing To Win worked to O'Shea's satisfaction on Tuesday when he was reunited with Hugh Bowman who rides him today.

Glen Boss rode Racing To Win in four of his group one wins, which include the 2006 George Main Stakes, while Bowman was aboard for his last top-flight victory in last year's All-Aged Stakes.

- AAP