Paul Messara plans the Nunthorpe and then France for the star of his stable, Ortensia after she won the King George
Just when the things did not seem as bright as they should have been for the Australian mare, Ortensia, she bagged one of the most significant races during the Glorious Goodwood meeting. Testa Rossa’s daughter won the Group 2 Gordon’s King George Stakes
on 3rd August, 2012 at Goodwood over five furlongs.
Taking off from the thirteenth stall in the capable hands of the jockey, William Buick, the seven-year-old won the race by the margin of 1 ¼ lengths. The other joint favourite of the race, Tangerine Trees, ended eighth in the field of seventeen.
It was a brilliant last-to-first attempt by the bay mare who left the rest of the contestants, their connections and the crowd awestruck by turning tables of the race that was initially directed to some other fate.
“She was head and shoulders above the rest of them”.
“I don't think she'd ever been downhill before and Paul said that I shouldn't ask her to do anything she didn't want to do.”
“I think she'd be better over six furlongs but York (Nunthorpe Stakes) would be fine for her. Obviously, she'll be going back to Australia soon but I'd like it if she stayed.”
The start of the 2012 season was the tail end of the hat-trick that had its first two legs in the previous season.
The Paul Messara trained won the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint Sponsored By Emirates NBD on 31st March, 2012 at the Meydan race course over five furlongs.
She made an amazing come back from the down trodden position at the Royal Ascot and Newmarket. The excited and proud trainer who had been deprived of success since the two starts of his star mare finally got on to making future plans for her.
The performance of the bay mare out of, Aerate’s Pick, was far better at Newmarket as compared to the disaster that she struck at the Royal Ascot.
"Ortensia will now contest the Nunthorpe at York (August 24). Can't wait!" he said.
After the Nunthorpe Stakes there are chances that the mare will race in France. She has proved herself by winning Group 1 races in Dubai and Australia, and it might as well just stand true when she races in France.
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