From grumpy to grand: Orchestral ready to grab Randwick baton
She is getting stronger and grumpier. Stronger than before the Derby. Trainer Roger James
The new queen of New Zealand racing is getting stronger and grumpier by the day.
Orchestral may have inherited the title of our best racehorse with the shock retirement of Imperatriz on Thursday, and she will take the title for a spin around Randwick today as the $1.65 favourite in the A$1 million (NZ$1.08m) ATC Oaks.
It will be the last race of an unbeaten 2024 campaign, and cotrainer Roger James admits to seeing changes in the great filly as she prepares for her grand final.
“She is getting stronger and grumpier,” James told the Weekend
Herald. “Looking at her, she looks stronger than before she won the Derby back home [March 2]. “And she is definitely grumpier. “As the campaign has gone on, she has got less and less interested in people fussing over her, and she just wants to get on with business. But I don’t take that as a bad sign. A lot of the good fillies have a bit of attitude.”
Orchestral has had an intense 2024, starting with a huge win at Pukekohe and then her dramatic $1.5 million Karaka Millions Three-YearOld win. Avondale Guineas and NZ Derby demolitions soon followed.
“She had a week off after that, and she has thrived being back in work, and I think she will be a better filly this week than she was winning the Vinery [Group 1] two weeks ago.”
James says one of the keys to Orchestral handling a campaign of so many challenges is her appetite.
“She is an enormous eater, which helps giving them energy, and I think after this weekend, once we start to let her down, she will start to grow again because of that.”
The roomy Randwick track and step back up to 2400m should combine to make Orchestral even more potent than when she was running away from most of her opponents in the Vinery, and jockey James McDonald told the Weekend Herald he thinks he is on a winner.
The last piece of the puzzle should be the improved Sydney weather, with Randwick a soft5 yesterday with chances of an upgrade today.
That would also suit New Zealand and Auckland Cup winner Mahrajaan in the A$2 million ($2.16m) Sydney Cup, in which he carries 56kg for Cambridge trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray.
Mahrajaan hates wet tracks but loves 3200m racing, so finds himself in his sweet spot today but is still giving weight to some smart horses and has a wide draw.
Other Kiwis on the big stage today include Quintessa in the Oaks and her stablemate Campionessa in the
Queen of the Turf, where she takes on NZ-owned Atishu.
The Cambridge Stud-owned Joliestar, a rare Kiwi winner of the Australian 1000 Guineas, resumes in the A$1 million (NZ$1.08m) Arrowfield Sprint but has needed a jockey change with ex-pat horseman Jason Collett still recovering from a mid-week race fall.
Closer to home, the $120,000 Hawke’s Bay Cup is at O¯ taki after recent issues with the Hastings track, and it also has a rarity with a South Island-trained topweight, Prince Alby set to carry 58kg.
Riccarton hosts the richest domestic race of the day with the $350,000 Southern Alps Challenge, their innovation race only open to South Island horses, while the $80,000 NZB Insurance
Stakes sees plenty of northern three-year-old fillies heading south to chase black type.
Ellerslie track news
Ellerslie will hold trials on Monday to ensure their new StrathAyr track is good to go for next Saturday’s Easter Handicap meeting at the Auckland racecourse.
Wednesday’s meeting at Ellerslie was abandoned after three races because of issues with footing near one of the crossings as the new track continues to bed in.
Auckland Thoroughbred Racing is working with the track installers StrathAyr on how best to prepare the track for meetings, and it will now be cored more to break up the top surface until the track settles.