Options open for newly crowned Group 1 winner Schwarz

Now that Schwarz has secured his maiden Group 1 victory, the focus shifts to how best to manage his schedule leading up to the breeding season, with a potential trip to England on the table.

Co-trainer John O'Shea confirmed on Monday morning that Rosemont Stud will make the final call on the Zoustar four-year-old’s future, but the timing suggests he may have one final race before retiring.

The $1 million Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m), formerly the BTC Cup, at Eagle Farm on May 31 is the primary domestic option. However, a journey to Royal Ascot for the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m) in June is also under consideration.

"The options for him will be to run in the BTC sprint in Brisbane and then there's also an option to dally with the concept of giving him another try down the straight, but with a better preparation," O'Shea told RSN927.

"Come to Melbourne, try him down the straight in a trial and if he was to trial well then there's obviously the option to run him at Ascot.

"They would be the two options for the horse, if he is going to run again.

"He'll definitely go to stud this year, he'd be well-patronised, he's got an amazing pedigree and he's an outstanding-looking individual.

"He ticks a lot of boxes in terms of a future stallion prospect."

The William Reid Stakes win marked Schwarz’s sixth career victory from 12 starts. Although he has triumphed at Flemington, his only previous attempt down the straight ended in a seventh-place finish in last year’s Group 3 Rising Fast Stakes (1200m), won by Maharba.

Despite that outcome, O’Shea believes there is room for improvement should Schwarz get another opportunity.

"I'm a great believer in historical precedents and I think that the right horses to take to Ascot are horses that have run well in a Lightning or a Newmarket," O'Shea, who trains alongside Tom Charlton, said.

"In that sense, he doesn't meet the criteria but the one time that we did run him down the straight, if I had my time over again I would have done it differently."

Schwarz’s Group 1 victory was a major success for the Rosemont-led Victorian Alliance, who have invested over $20 million in yearlings from the 2022, 2023, and 2024 sales.

Schwarz, a son of Not A Single Doubt mare Summer Sham—whose granddam is a half-sister to Redoute’s Choice—was part of their first crop and was acquired for $1.25 million at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.