Small wins might be sweet this autumn, but trainer John O’Shea sees a bright future ahead for progressive gelding Yorkshire, believing the four-year-old is on track to become a Group-level competitor.

Yorkshire will look to take another step toward that goal when he aims for back-to-back victories in Saturday’s TAB Handicap (1500m), where he is a popular odds-on favourite.

The booking of champion jockey James McDonald has no doubt influenced his price, but O’Shea is confident that the horse deserves the favouritism. “He is a deserved favourite, but because James is on him, he is probably shorter than what he would be normally,” O’Shea said. “But we’re happy with our horse. He will be well suited at Rosehill and there’s a lot in his favour. There is no shortage of ability, and as his trip gets a little longer, he will be even more effective.”

Yorkshire is not only performing well, but the form around him is stacking up too. First-up, he finished between Accredited and West Of Africa, the former being an early favourite for Saturday’s Group 3 Southern Cross Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill, while West Of Africa went on to score an impressive win in the Magic Millions Cup.

Most recently, Yorkshire proved his class with a dominant victory at Wyong, and O’Shea is optimistic about his future. “He is a horse we’re just trying to get through his grades each week and I think he will end up a beautiful Group Two miler, something like that, in the latter part of the Sydney spring,” O’Shea said. “We will keep ducking and weaving until he learns his craft. He is so lightly raced and he’s so young, there is plenty of time to get him where we need to.”

In the same race, O’Shea will also saddle up Cotehele, and he believes the horse has every chance to improve on his recent underwhelming form. “It’s D-day for him, but he has finally drawn a gate, which is important, and he loves Rosehill,” O’Shea said. “There is no problem with the way he is going at home, but he hasn’t had circumstances to suit. Saturday, he will drop on the bridle off a good tempo, probably follow his stablemate, and that will give him a chance to aim up or ship out. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ran a little race.”