![John O'Shea and Tom Charlton have navigated a disrupted spring preparation with Mindgames, who has firmed in betting ahead of the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes. [Bradley Photos]](https://betsy.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/2372958.jpg)
John O’Shea and Tom Charlton sat down at the beginning of the season, and set spring programs for their potential stars.
Mindgames – Spring Champion Stakes.
King Pedro – Melbourne Cup.
Linebacker – Five Diamonds.
If one could hit the jackpot it would be a success. If couple got the job done even better.
Then racing happened, and the big targets were being scrubbed from the plan.
“Mind Games got a foot abscess at the wrong time, and we thought we would have to wait with him,” O’Shea said about the son of Maurice.
“The reason he came back into the stable was to run in the Spring Champion because that is a trip where he is going to be at his best.”
O’Shea had already lowered his target to a race at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, but Spring Champion lingered.
Mindgames had scored an easy win at a short quote at Goulburn when he returned to track on October 6 and then last weekend was the victim of severe traffic problems at Newcastle, blocked for a run until well inside the 200m mark before he found the line to run second.
“He has kept impressing us, and he should be three-from-three, and if he was, he would be even shorter in the betting,” O’Shea continued.
Mindgames has been $26 to $12 since the Group 1 field of nine as drawn on Wednesday.
“I think people are looking for the horse coming from a different angle, because I think the lead-up races are questionable,” O’Shea said. “We liked him a lot, and we are going to find out a bit more on Saturday, and then he can go for a spell and will be even better next year.”
The best-laid plans can quickly be thwarted by problems, and for Grafton Cup winner King Pedro it was a simple cold.
“He got a snotty nose for a week when he came back in, and it set us back a bit,” O’Shea said.
“Fortunately, he had that fitness from racing into the winter, and that has helped us get to Saturday with some confidence.”
King Pedro lines up in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup at Flemington as a $6 chance after returning by running fourth behind Attrition in the Hill Stakes.
The stayer still holds a Melbourne Cup dream but would have win on Saturday to be assured his place on the first Tuesday of November.
“He was good first-up and he gets out to a trip where he excels,” O’Shea said. “He would have to win or run very well for us to go to the Cup, but he has the talent to do that and I think he will run well like all our runners on the weekend.”
Back in Sydney, Randwick Guineas winner Linebacker has had a smoother path to the Five Diamonds Prelude.
“We have got him to relax a bit more this preparation and he is looking to get out in trip now,” O’Shea said. “There is very good prizemoney there for us to target.”
After a fourth in the Bill Ritchie Handicap first-up then a late charging third in the Alan Brown Stakes, O’Shea believes Linebacker is ready to peak at his next two runs.
“There looks to be good speed in the race on Saturday, which will help us and he will get to close out the race,” O’Shea said.
