The connections of superstar New Zealand filly Orchestral decided to bypass this weekend’s Group 1 A$2million ATC Derby (2400m) at Randwick and will instead concentrate on the A$1million Australian Oaks (2400m) on the same track a week later.
Orchestral headed across the Tasman as one of the most-hyped New Zealand three-year-olds in recent memory. She had won all of her four previous starts in succession, including the Karaka Millions Three-year-old (1600m), the Group 2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) and a runaway victory in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m). The latter performance received a further boost when the distant second placegetter Antrim Coast won last the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley in his next start.
Champion expat jockey James McDonald was legged aboard Orchestral as a $1.60 favourite last Saturday despite facing a well-credentialled field that included Godolphin’s Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) and Group 2 Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) winner Zardozi.
The pair also had to overcome a daring ride by Nash Rawiller on Tutta La Vita, who sat in third place before powering to the lead and throwing down the gauntlet with 600m to run. They held a clear advantage over Orchestral and McDonald rounding the home bend and the New Zealand filly faced her biggest test to date to reel in the leader.
But McDonald got her balanced up in the straight and pushed the button, and Orchestral took care of the rest. She worked through her gears and began to eat into Tutta La Vita’s margin, surging past her in the final 1000m to win by just under a length. Zardozi finished third.
“She had to have all the quality today,” McDonald said. “She was out on her feet but, like the good ones do, she overcame it. She’s just very good. It’s a weird feeling riding her, because the first time I ever sat on her, I hopped off her and thought. There’s something dammed, damned good about this thing.”
“I haven’t had this much confidence going into a race since I was riding Anamoe, when I knew he was just unbeatable.
“I thought she would win a little bit easier but she was a little bit ring-rusty and she took the last bend a little bit awkwardly.
On fast ground, she had to really dig deep and the slowly run race wasn’t really to our liking. Stepping up in trip next start is just going to be perfect for her.”
McDonald said he knew Nash Rawiller, on Tutta La Vita, would try something unorthodox in the running.
“So, I was aware it was going to happen, it was just a matter of when and just being alert to it. I would have preferred to sit and not have to chase from that far out, but it shows how tough she is.”
“She had to do all the donkey work to chase that horse, which is not that easy to do. Then she was left a sitting duck so to fight like that was incredible She pulled up having a bit of a blow too, so she’ll improve.”
Orchestral has been installed a hot favourite at $1.70 for the Australian Oaks, with Zardozi second favourite at $4.00 and Tutta La Vita on the third line of betting at $8.00.
Trained by the Cambridge partnership of Roger James and Robert Wellwood and raced by their long-time clients Colin and Helen Litt, Orchestral has now had nine starts for six wins and two seconds and has amassed almost $2million in stakemoney.
“It’s a great effort by the filly, coming back from a mile and a half to now win over 2000m,” Wellwood said. “That residual fitness kicked in at the end.”
Orchestral was bred at Barnswood Farm and is one of 33 individual Group 1 winners sired by Waikato Stud’s champion sire Savabeel.
She is the first named foal out of the O’Reilly mare Symphonic, who was the winner of four races and placed in the Group 3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.
Offered by Haunui Farm in Book 1 at the 2022 Karaka yearling sales, Orchestral changed hands for $625,000.
HB black-type races will be part of Hastings Phantom Raceday
Hawke’s Bay Racing will be staging a phantom race day at the Hastings racecourse next Saturday, April 13.
With the Hastings racing surface presently undergoing major renovations Hawke’s Bay Racing’s two black-type races scheduled for this day, the Listed $120,000 Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) and the Listed $80,000 City of Napier Sprint (1200m), have had to be transferred to the Otaki meeting.
For those unable to travel through to Otaki for the day Hawke’s Bay Racing will be hosting a live racing entertainment package in the Cheval Lounge at the Hastings racecourse.
Live racing from New Zealand’s two domestic meetings, at Otaki and Riccarton, will be shown on the big screen as well as top racing action from Australia.
The hospitality package includes entry into the Cheval Lounge, a BBQ is provided with warm chargrilled beef and pulled pork, served with buns and fillings by BBQ Gourmet, a complimentary glass of sparkling wine on arrival, a drinks voucher and a racebook.
Doors open at 12 noon with the first race timed for 1pm.
Betting terminals will be available within the room and will close 30 minutes after the last race at Otaki.
Tickets cost $40/head and can be purchased by emailing tracy@hawkesbayracing.co.nz or go to www.hawkesbayracing.co.nz.
The event is subject to a minimum number of tickets sold and Hawke’s Bay Racing is looking forward to seeing both HB Racing members and the general public in attendance to enjoy a fun day’s racing but without racehorses actually competing at the venue.
Trackside will be free-to-air
Trackside has returned to free-to-air television as part of a refreshed offering for New Zealand racing fans.
Trackside, which has been part of the New Zealand broadcasting landscape since 1992, has been refreshed to give racing lovers a complete new look and feel.
The refresh also signals the return of Trackside to free-to-air channels. Trackside 1 and 2 are now available on Freeview 23 and 24 respectively, expanding the reach of the channels alongside offering the service through Sky Channels 62 & 63 and TAB’s own streaming services through its betting channels.
Christopher Haigh, Chief Media Officer of Entain Australia and New Zealand—the operators of TAB and Trackside Media—said racing fans can expect enhanced coverage of all three racing codes.
“We’ve made a complete change to the look and feel of Trackside 1, Trackside 2 and Trackside Premier,” Christopher Haigh said.
“These are the first major changes to Trackside’s look and feel since 2014, and we are putting the racing animal at the front and centre of these changes.
“Our new look has more space for live racing vision to be displayed, alongside providing viewers with more of the key betting information they need.”
The graphic changes also reflect the shift in betting trends in the past decade, with fixed odds products becoming increasingly popular.
More programming will also be seen on Trackside’s channels in the coming months, as well as an increased number of presenters at New Zealand’s racecourses to help find and pass on information that viewers cannot find elsewhere.
Mark Twain earns Melbourne Cup entry
Emerging New Zealand stayer Mark Twain secured himself a ballot-free entry into this year’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) with an outstanding last-to-first win in last Saturday’s Listed Roy Higgins Quality (2600m) on the Flemington track.
Mark Twain’s heroics in the A$500,000 staying feature came less than an hour after his superstar stablemate Orchestral won the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) in Sydney.
Mark Twain went into the race with only 11 career starts to his name. He had won three of those and placed in another three, headed by a last-start third in the Group 2 Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie on March 9. He was also a fourth placegetter in last year’s Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) before finishing well outside the placings on heavy ground in the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m).
Mark Twain, trained by Roger James and Robert Wellwood, was thrown in at the deep end against some seasoned staying opposition in Saturday’s Roy Higgins. That difficult task looked close to impossible as he was a clear last and almost detached from the rest of the field coming down the side of the track.
But jockey Mick Dee brought him to the outside in the straight and let him rip, with Mark Twain producing an astonishing finish to bound past all of his 11 rivals and win by half a length.
“I can hardly believe what this horse did today,” Roger James said.
“At the 600m, I had all but given up hope. He was flat catching the second-last horse. The big expanses at Flemington helped him, but it was a mighty staying effort.
“You didn’t see him at his best on a bottomless track when he came over for the Derby in Sydney last year. Otherwise, he’s not blotted his copybook. No doubt that staying is the name of his game, and big tracks.
“The fact that we’ve got the golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup now makes it so much easier to plan his spring campaign.”
Mark Twain also made a big impression on jockey Mick Dee, who was having his first ride on the horse.
“To be honest, I was trying to get him around the track,” Dee said.
“He wanted to hang out on me the whole way and I didn’t have a lot of steering in the straight.
“Once he finally changed legs and balanced up in the straight, that was when you saw that turn of foot. It was a super effort, but he didn’t give me the easiest of rides. He can pull and reef and tear, but I was able to manage that. He was wanting to get on one rein, but he’s certainly got great staying ability and we definitely saw it.”