Chris Wood took an early shine to You Say D’Orsay and his judgement has proved on the money with the three-year-old making a strong start to his career.
The Cambridge trainer was expecting the gelding to make an impression when asked serious questions and with two wins and a runner-up finish from three starts his young charge has answered positively.
You Say D’Orsay will bid to further his record when he likely makes the final appearance of his current preparation at Tauranga on Saturday.
“I think he’ll just have the one more run and then he’ll go to the paddock for six or eight weeks and bring him back for the spring,” Wood said.
“He’s pretty much untapped at the moment and doing it on raw ability.”
You Say D’Orsay was successful at Te Rapa at the first time of asking before he won again at Matamata and then finished second in a competitive line-up behind Hat Trick at Ellerslie.
He will be ridden at the weekend by Joe Doyle, who guided him to his debut victory and was aboard in his most recent outing.
“He’s kept stepping up to the mark and it was a good run at Ellerslie and Joe said he just got beaten by a better horse on the day,” Wood said.
“It was a good field and he beat quite a few promising horses and it was good to see him take a sit because he led in his first two starts.
“He didn’t have any trouble and he balanced up nicely and came home well. Joe said the horse will keep on improving and there’s plenty ahead of him.”
Promising trial performances last year and words of encouragement from New Zealand’s leading rider had also reinforced Wood’s opinion of You Say D’Orsay.
“We knew he had plenty under the bonnet and he’s done a very good job. He had three trials before he raced and ran three seconds,” he said.
“I put Warren Kennedy on him in the middle trial and he said this is a very smart horse and I’d like to ride him when he goes to the races, but unfortunately for him it just hasn’t panned out that way.”
A son of the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1200m) winner Under The Louvre, You Say D’Orsay was secured for A$50,000 at the Magic Millions March Yearling Sale.
“I couldn’t get there that year and asked Paul Moroney to find a horse for me,” Wood said.
“This one came up late in the day and pleased now that I went a little bit further than my budget.
“We syndicated between stable clients and a few new people and they’re pretty happy already with two wins and a second.
“He’s a very good-natured horse and he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.
“He’s a lovely, kind horse to have around the stable and that makes the job a lot easier.”
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