SHAGGY TO RESUME IN BRISBANE ON SATURDAY WEEK

WYONG whiz Shaggy’s planned resumption at Royal Randwick on Saturday has been called off.

Instead the brilliant youngster will head north for a Listed race at Eagle Farm’s Stradbroke Handicap meeting on Saturday week.

Shaggy won his first three starts at Coffs Harbour, Sunshine Coast and Randwick earlier in the year by an aggregate margin of more than 10 lengths, and suffered his first defeat when fifth to Newcastle youngster Rivellino in the Group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on March 1.

Shaggy’s trainer Allan Kehoe had been keen to start Shaggy in a 2YO Handicap (1100m) on Saturday, where he was given 60.5kg topweight and Wyong apprentice Anna Roper was on standby to ride him.

However, with more rain forecast today, Kehoe was not prepared to risk him on a heavy track.

Shaggy, with Roper aboard, didn’t handle a ‘Heavy 9’ surface when fifth in a 900m trial against his own age at Rosehill Gardens last Thursday.

“Shaggy had been working well, and I expected him to go to Sydney and win that trial,” Kehoe said this morning.

“Anna said he felt great, but struggled in the ground.

“Thus I decided not accept with him for the Randwick race.

“Shaggy will go to Brisbane and run in the Listed Oxlade Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday week, and I’m hoping to book Ash Morgan.”

The Oxlade is run at set weights, and Kehoe says he is not concerned about his gelding tackling 1200m first-up.

“Shaggy had only a month off, and still has that residual fitness,” Kehoe said.

“He was ready to race over 1100m on Saturday, so I’m not worried about him going an extra 100m.

“I’m really happy with him.

“He strengthened up during his break, and his work has been terrific.”

The Eagle Farm assignment will be Shaggy’s final start in his two-year-old season.

“He’ll come home after the race and have a little break, and we’ll get him ready for The Rosebud at Rosehill Gardens in August.”

A Listed race for three-year-olds, The Rosebud (1100m) will be run on August 16.

Kehoe had intended trialling Shaggy at home last Tuesday week, but those trials were called off and moved to the Beaumont track at Newcastle last Friday (and then further postponed to that track on Monday when they were finally held).

Rather than risk missing out on a trial altogether, he then decided to take him to Sydney for the Rosehill set last Thursday.

Story John Curtis, June 4, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos