‘Better than Holler’: O’Shea sends Napoleonic into battle against Sydney’s best

John O’Shea and Tom Charlton will challenge Sydney’s best sprinters with three-year-old Napoleonic in Saturday’s Canterbury Stakes at Randwick.

After seconds to Tempted in the Eskimo Prince Stakes and Ninja in the Hobartville Stakes, O’Shea explained Napoleonic is better at 1300m, rather than stepping up to a mile in the Randwick Guineas.

“We’re not scared of taking on the older horse, and I won this race before with three-year-olds,” O’Shea said.

“Holler won it when I was at Godolphin, and this is a better horse than Holler.”

“He brings Tempted form from his first-up run and she beat all the older Australian horses in the Everest.”

“I think the three-year-olds have shown they are very good already, and he is a pretty good three-year-old.”

O’Shea and Charlton will also saddle Linebacker and Ingham winner Yorkshire in a vintage renewal of the Canterbury Stakes.

“They are at different stages of their preparations. Linebacker and Yorkshire are first-up on their way to Doncaster.”

“Napoleonic has two runs and both times he has been very good on the clock.”

“I thought he could have been ridden a hair closer in the Hobartville and he would have tested the winner.”

“His best trip is between 1200 and 1400m, so the 1300m will be perfect for him.”

Zac Lloyd is the regular rider for all three of the O’Shea-Charlton runners but he will ride Napoleonic, with Dylan Gibbons booked for Linebacker. A jockey has yet to be confirmed for Yorkshire.