Ormond Road bounces back with Awapuni win

Ormond Road put a disappointing Kiwifruit Cup failure well and truly behind her with a return to winning form in the $ 25,000 Evans, Henderson & Woodridge Handicap (2100m) at Awapuni on Saturday.

And it’s full steam ahead to the Taumarunui Gold Cup at Te Rapa at the end of the month.

But true to Tony Bambry’s training regime for this horse, Ormond Road is likely to step out before that at Trentham on Saturday.

“I’ll see how she comes through this race, but I’ll probably run her in the Whyte Handicap this week,” the Awapuni trainer said.

Ormond Road has responded well to a strenuous campaign that has seen her race eight times in the past 10 weeks, winning three of her past four starts.

“Things just didn’t go right for us at Tauranga [in the Kiwfruit Cup],” Bambry said.

“She was skittled leaving the barriers and got shuffled back in the field and just never got into the race after that, and only plugged on in the testing ground. Kelly [Myers, jockey] just couldn’t get her out into clear space soon enough.”

Before going to Tauranga, Ormond Road won her two previous starts with Kelly’s sister Rosie aboard, and that partnership was reunited for Saturday’s win.

Bambry races City On A Hill fiveyear-old mare Ormond Road with his wife Judith, Warwick Currie and the Central Hotel Woodville Syndicate.

Another $15,625 in the bank has lifted the mare’s stake earnings to $74,260 from six wins, two seconds, a third and three fourths.

Earlier, a late decision to run juvenile Lord Turbo set up a winning double for Bambry.

The debutante sat back in a small field before producing an undeniable finish to claim the Coombe Smith Rangitikei 2yo Handicap.

“He was only named at 11.55am on Tuesday as it was only a second thought to put him,” said Bambry’s daughter Chrissy, who shares in the ownership of the Perfectly Ready youngster.

The result was a special one for the family as Lord Turbo’s mother, Sitting On A Hill, had also been a debut winner as a two-year-old from the stable.

That was her sole success, although she showed her quality with a third placing in the Gr III Eulogy Stakes.

Now a possible Listed Ryder Stakes contender, Lord Turbo had trialled prior to stepping out on Saturday and had finished third at Foxton behind boom youngster Cauthen, who created a big impression with his runaway victory at Te Rapa last Wednesday.

The Darci Brahma colt is already being touted as a possible Gr I Caulfield Guineas contender by trainer Andrew Campbell.

Meanwhile, the Murray Neal-owned and trained The Filly was back to her best in the Rayner Building/PJ Rayner Decorating Handicap.

Neal is keen have a crack at the Gr I $ 200,000 Makfi Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Hastings on August 31 with the daughter of Ishiguru, but his first target is the Listed $ 65,000 Opunake Cup at New Plymouth on Saturday week.

The four-year-old was having only her second start beyond 1200m at Awapuni and handled the distance with aplomb on a testing track.

According to Kane Smith, who has become The Filly’s regular rider, the transition to longer trips could be her forte. He said the extra speed needed to keep in contact in the 1200m events had been taking its toll, but she rounded off Saturday’s race perfectly.

Neal and his father Barry bought Soviet Star mare Bayline Beauty at auction in foal to Ishiguru and the resulting offspring was The Filly, whose win on Saturday was her fifth from 15 starts.

Barry Neal died recently but his widow Lorraine and Murray’s sister Debbie were on hand to cheer home the family’s pride and joy.