Merit in the performance will outweigh the numerical result for trainer John O'Shea's two Skyline Stakes entries at Randwick on Saturday.O'Shea will start Ashokan and Shelford in the Golden Slipper-qualifying race as the countdown to the world's richest two-year-old event starts to get serious.In what is the first of three weeks of potential do-or-die lead-up racing, O'Shea says he will be happy if his youngsters do enough to continue a path to the Golden Slipper."We'll keep heading towards the

Merit in the performance will outweigh the numerical result for trainer John O'Shea's two Skyline Stakes entries at Randwick on Saturday.

O'Shea will start Ashokan and Shelford in the Golden Slipper-qualifying race as the countdown to the world's richest two-year-old event starts to get serious.

In what is the first of three weeks of potential do-or-die lead-up racing, O'Shea says he will be happy if his youngsters do enough to continue a path to the Golden Slipper.

"We'll keep heading towards the Golden Slipper irrespective of winning or losing on Saturday," he said

Ashokan and Shelford were placegetters at their first starts but are outside the top 40 in the latest order of entry.

O'Shea is counting on the stakes not being so high in the race to secure a Golden Slipper berth.

"To get into the race last year it was a bit less money (than usual) and maybe it's the same this year," he said.

O'Shea has opted for a gear change on Ashokan after the colt ran about when second to Dear Demi at Rosehill last month.

"He was a bit green that day so he'll race in blinkers on Saturday," O'Shea said.

Jim Cassidy keeps the Ashokan mount while Nash Rawiller has been booked to ride Canonbury Stakes placegetter Shelford.

Skyline entries include Canonbury winner Raceway and Amorino, a 5-1/2 length Warwick Farm barrier trial winner on Tuesday.

Raceway, a Hugh Bowman mount, occupies the fourth line of Golden Slipper betting at $7.50.

Unbeaten Victorian filly Samaready is the $4.80 favourite after winning the Blue Diamond Stakes.

But O'Shea, who also has Black Opal Stakes placegetter Faustus heading towards the Golden Slipper, says the race is not as clear-cut as some judges might believe.

"I think it's an open year," he said.

Faustus will have his final lead-up run to the Golden Slipper in the Todman Stakes at Rosehill on March 24.