Tessera Steps Up To Stakes Grade

Speed, courage and superior fitness earned Tessera a Group 3 victory and a place in Godolphin's Autumn feature race plans when he defied his opposition in the Canonbury Stakes at Rosehill, Australia on Saturday, January 30.

Tessera (John O'Shea/James McDonald) went into the race as the only winner in the field and ensured that situation remained unchanged, going straight to the front setting a strong pace on the heavy track.

His early effort looked to have taken its toll when he was joined and headed by Defcon at the 200m.

Defcon went ahead and seemed set for victory, but his rider James McDonald got another effort from Tessera who rallied strongly and was going away again on the line to win by a length-and-a-half.

The win caused trainer John O'Shea to revise plans for the son of Medaglia d'Oro.

"I was going to take him to Melbourne for a smaller Stakes race, but I think he's better than that," O'Shea said.

While O'Shea had a healthy respect for the colt after he scored at his first start two weeks ago, the style in which he accounted for some highly-regarded opposition could earn him a start in the world's richest two-year-old race, the A$3.5 million G1 Golden Slipper Stakes run at Rosehill on March 19.

"He's two from two now and he's been very professional both times," O'Shea said.

"He's an unassuming horse, but he keeps winning. He conceded weight to them today and won again."

"Irrespective of what we thought, he keeps telling us where he sits and is entitled to be high up in the Golden Slipper rankings."

McDonald said he had been pleasantly surprised by Tessera's debut win, but had total belief in the colt this time - and there is more to come.

"He's given the others 1.5kg and beaten them," McDonald said.

"Wait until he's ridden with a sit, he will be even better."

Tessera's win was the first of three for Godolphin around Australia on the day.

Tally (John O'Shea/Andrew Mallyon) won the ungraded Woodend Cup at Kyneton, Victoria and Allergic took out the ungraded Ascend Sales Trophies Handicap at Rosehill.