A series of outstanding performances at Ellerslie last summer underpinned an award-winning three-year-old season for Orchestral, and trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood hope Sunday’s first-up run will set her up for more of the same in 2025.
The top-class daughter of Savabeel scored a stunning Ellerslie treble in last year’s $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), Group 2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) and Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m). She powered home from the back half of the field to win each of those features with ease, racking up a combined winning margin of more than 11 lengths.
Orchestral carried on to Sydney and added the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m), which James and Wellwood had also won the previous year with Prowess. Orchestral’s exceptional three-year-old season came to an end with a third placing in the Group 1 Australian Oaks (2400m).
James and Wellwood went into Orchestral’s four-year-old spring with high hopes, but she was unplaced in all of her three appearances. She resumed with an eighth over 1400m at Ellerslie in September, followed by a strong-finishing sixth in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) and a very disappointing 12th in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m).
“For whatever reason, she didn’t show her best form in that spring campaign,” James said. “She had a hard run first-up, and then to be fair to her, she was very unlucky in that second run. But her performance in that last race was a bit of a head-scratcher.
“We gave her a break after that and I’m super happy with her in the lead-up to Ellerslie this weekend. She’s looking great.
“The 1400m will absolutely be short of her best distance this weekend and there’s a fair bit of improvement left in her. We don’t need her to be peaking for this race.”
James is looking forward to taking Orchestral back to Ellerslie’s Karaka Millions meeting again on January 25 in search of another million-dollar prize.
“She’ll go to the Aotearoa Classic (1600m) next,” he said. “After that, she’ll probably continue to race in New Zealand through until the autumn. We can race for such incredibly good money on home soil now, with the stakes and bonuses, that there’s no need to look further afield.”
Horse racing bookmakers rate Orchestral a $3 favourite for the Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic. She is also prominent in the market for the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on February 8, where she sits on the second line of favouritism at $6 behind dominant $1.70 favourite Snazzytavi.
Orchestral is at the same $6 quote with Neds for the Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m), which is one of four Group One races run on Champions Day at Ellerslie on March 8.
The Aotearoa Classic, Herbie Dyke Stakes and Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes are all qualifying races for the Rich Hill Champion Middle Distance Series, which will award bonuses of $300,000, $150,000 and $50,000 for the three highest point-scorers at the conclusion of the 12-race series.
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