To keep punters up to date, we’re going to take a closer look at a horse that could be a lively outsider for this year’s Melbourne Cup on November 5.
Orchestral, a young Kiwi-bred filly, is the horse we’re looking at as we see her profile and assess her chances.
Kiwi Filly Young But Classy
As we heard last week, the economic impact of the Melbourne Cup keeps increasing. This race, and the sport as a whole, is still growing. With that we need more heroes or, in this case, heroines.
Orchestral could be the next big thing in top staying races.
A lovely bay filly, Orchestral is only a three-year-old at present. In fact, she is only actually turning four a week and a half before the Melbourne Cup on October 26.
Orchestral is trained by Roger James and Robert Wellwood in Cambridge, New Zealand. By Savabeel out of Symphonic, she is already a Group 1 winner and has already passed $1.9m in earnings.
Form
Orchestral only hit the track in April 2023, finishing second at Avondale.
She won her maiden in May at Hastings and it seemed her team knew her ability early. She was thrust straight into Group 3 company last September, though she was only 10th of 13.
Improving on that after a break, she was runner-up at Group 3 level last December. She has since won several times including in the Group 2 Avondale Guineas over 2100 metres and the New Zealand Derby over 2400 metres at Ellerslie in early March. That was a significant victory by almost four lengths.
Orchestral was brought over to Rosehill at the end of March. She took part in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes, winning that under James McDonald as the odds-on favourite.
The level she has hit there, this time over 2000 metres, was very high. She’d now be competitive in any weight-for-age Group 1 race worldwide.
What Are Orchestral’s Chances in the Cup?
Well, there’s lots to consider here. Her form is fine, that much we know as she was outstanding in the NZ Derby and has already taken one of Australia’s biggest races.
Her breeding is also high on quality, but stamina in her pedigree could be a worry. Savabeel’s best progeny have not stayed this far, in fact some were sprinters.
You often get stamina from the distaff side, but again with Symphonic there isn’t much to go on. There is also some speed in her family which adds to pedigree doubts.
That said, Orchestral stayed the 2400m very well in New Zealand. We have some hope of her getting the 3200m in the Cup.
If she gets a big weight, she deserves it so this all comes down to class now. Horses this good are either physical freaks or very intelligent, making racing weight and stamina less of an issue.
She’s the early favourite for the Caulfield Cup which could prove significant.
