Outovstock.
One of the hard men of New Zealand horse racing has had racetrack success put very sharply into perspective for him in the last few weeks.
Chad Ormsby takes Outovstock to the A$1 million South Australian Derby in Adelaide today, looking to extend a golden run on the race track for the Waikato cowboy.
Cowboy may seem a derogatory term to most but in Ormsby’s case it is a lifestyle choice.
When he isn’t training racehorses he rides in rodeos. Hence his trademark cowboy hat when standing alongside his suited rivals in the raceday parade ring.
While Ormsby does things his own way he also does them well, with black type success this year with Master Fay winning the Concorde on Karaka Millions night while Pulchitrudinous won the NZ Oaks before being sold to an Australian stable for big money.
Now Outovstock has a chance to give Ormsby his second classic in six weeks, remarkable for a trainer who only has a handful of race horses.
“A lot of our horses we try to trade so we sell a lot,” Ormsby told the Herald.
“So we only usually have 3-4 actual horses racing. With those sort of numbers it has been a really huge year.”
But not one without its real life dramas, far more important that any racetrack result.
Ormsby is married to Aliesha Moroney, the daughter of Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Mike.
The family were stunned when Mike fell suddenly ill with a lung condition last month and while he is now on the improve he was very sick and the worst was feared.
“He is getting better and while he is still in hospital (in Melbourne) he has been talking and breathing on his own at least a few hours a day,” said Ormsby.
“Something like that puts things in perspective. Racetrack success is great if you can get it but family is the most important thing.
“Mike is such a huge part of our family so what he has been going through is always be the first thing on our minds.”
Ormsby might get a few minutes of distraction today as Outovstock takes on a strong local crop of three-year-olds in the Derby, as well as fellow Kiwi three-year-old Antrim Coast.
“The horse is feekling good and he won well last start. Obvously the barrier (18) isn’t the best but he gets back anyway and we have Opie, so there is no reason to panic.”
Antrim Coast comes into the Derby with a superior formline, having finished second to Orchestral in the NZ Derby, and already having won a A$500,000 race at The Valley but he has also been up a lot longer and will be doing well to hold his form.
He is trained by Stephen Marsh who will chase a Trans Tasman black-type double today as he also has Super Photon as one of the leading chances in the the $80,000 Waikato Equine Vet Centre Stakes at Te Rapa
Super Photon (R6, No.2) looks highly talented and has a better draw than favourite Domain Ace (1) although the latter did come from off the speed to win at Ellerslie last start, continuing a strong run for Team Rogerson-trained juveniles in the autumn in recent years.
Just how important those draws are could be decided by the track conditions, with Te Rapa rated a Heavy 8 but likely to improve.
That will suit most of the jumpers as both the hurdlers and steeplechasers make their northern returns today with only small numbers but some handy types in the two races.
Te Rapa, first race at 11.45am
Riccarton, first race at 11.30am
Winton harness, first race 11.53am
Morphetteville (South Australian Derby), first race at 2.22pm (NZ time)