Generalife is destined to race in the shadow of more celebrated stablemates.
But there is a strong chance the sprinter can figure for the second time as an important horse in Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Australian racing operation when he steps out in the $100,000 Winter Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.
Generalife was one of three winners Peter Snowden saddled up on his last day as Sheikh Mohammed’s private trainer.
Now on John O’Shea’s watch, the four-year-old is equal favourite to send Darley’s maroon and white colours out on a stakes-winning note for Crown Lodge.
The royal blue silks of Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin outfit will replace the Darley colours on August 1.
It’s a change that caps a hectic few months for O’Shea as he takes charge of a string of racehorses which includes some of the best-known names in Australian racing.
Godolphin’s plans to expand into Australia coincides with O’Shea starting to become more at ease with a role he maintains is the best job in the world for a racehorse trainer.
“You’d have to say that I’m starting to feel a bit more relaxed now that I’ve got my head around it a little bit,” O’Shea said.
“I think probably last week on the Monday, when we were preparing horses to run on the Wednesday, I felt that was the first time that we had ticked all the boxes and the horses ran accordingly.”
O’Shea has spring chances in Blue Diamond Stakes winner Earthquake, Ghibellines, Meursault and Sarajevo and he acknowledges there will be expectations surrounding their returns.
“If we can get one or two to hit the target it will ease a lot of pressure,” he said.
There will be much less scrutiny around Generalife at Rosehill.
Having raced through the winter, Generalife is unlikely to be around for anything too serious in the spring but he has an undeniable claim to make it back-to-back Listed wins.
He had the Civic Stakes won a long way from the finish at Rosehill two weeks ago and has continued to hold his form on the training track.