John O’Shea admits Napoleonic has a significant task in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) scheduled for Rosehill this Saturday in 2026.
The Wootton Bassett colt, from a late champion sire, confirmed his elite status with a 4-¼ length thrashing in the Group 3 Red Anchor Stakes (1200m) on Cox Plate day.
With Tom Charlton as co-trainer, O’Shea rested the Pinecliff Racing-owned colt after that win and reports strong maturation, highlighted by a recent Randwick trial victory.
“He’s great, I’m really happy with him,” O’Shea said.
“He’s trialled up well and made a bit of psychical improvement from last season so we’re looking forward to Saturday.
Satisfied with the return to track work, O’Shea notes the Eskimo Prince Stakes and Autumn pursuits will test Napoleonic anew, especially versus benchmark Tempted.
“She’s the benchmark,” O’Shea said.
“She should’ve nearly won an Everest. In terms of 1200 metre sprinters in Australia, especially three-year-olds, there’s none better than her.
So we’re respectful of her, and we know that we’re going to have to be right at the best of our game to be competitive.”
O’Shea anticipates less flair than the Red Anchor but values the gauge on Napoleonic versus top three-year-olds.
“That was his day, fourth up, he’d had a good foundation going into it,” O’Shea said.
“It was a good day for him to let rip. Saturday is a bit different, he’s got a long campaign ahead, so whatever he does he’ll improve off, but he’s done enough work to run well.
The stable’s strategy for Napoleonic allows versatility, even eyeing Brisbane Winter carnival options.
Visit the best racing betting markets ahead of the Eskimo Prince Stakes showdown.
Napoleonic sits as $3.60 second choice in Eskimo Prince futures, trailing the $1.50 market ruler Tempted.
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