Ottoman & Pearls Out To Bloom In Tea Rose

Time/Date - 15.05hrs local time/Saturday, September 19, 2015
Racecourse/Country - Royal Randwick/Australia
Surface/Distance - Turf/7f

Three-year-old fillies Ottoman and Pearls seek Group Two success in the seven-furlong Coolmore Tea Rose Stakes at Royal Randwick, Australia, on Saturday, September 19.

Ottoman (John O'Shea/James McDonald) faded in the closing stages when third on her seasonal return in the Group Two Coolmore Furious Stakes over six furlongs at the same course on September 5.

The daughter of Exceed And Excel captured in game fashion the Group Three Percy Sykes Stakes, also over six furlongs at Royal Randwick, in April and was second over the same course and distance in the Group Two Reisling Stakes in March.

Pearls (John O'Shea/Sam Clipperton), also by Exceed And Excel, steps up in class and trip after finishing second, beaten a length, in a six-furlong handicap at Canterbury on September 2.

She had made an impressive debut with a cosy length success in a Gosford maiden over the same distance on August 13.

John O'Shea reported: "Ottoman has trained on well since her good first-up run on a heavy track at Randwick.

"She would prefer better ground and hopefully she will get that here. Her fitness levels have improved - the only query for her is the capacity to run a genuine 1,400 metres at Randwick. We will find that out here.

"This is a third career start for Pearls. She is stepping up in grade but is a talented filly who will be benefited by the extra trip and the bigger circumference of the track.

"We have added winkers to her gear and from gate eight we will ride her a little conservatively and make sure she is hitting the line well. I am really happy with this filly and if there is going to be blow-out in the race, it will be Pearls."

Ottoman, drawn seven, and Pearls are due to take on 11 other three-year-old fillies including Kimberley Star, Perignon, Lake Geneva and Looking To The Stars.