Horse racing: Superstar mare Orchestral at long odds in Australia

Orchestral, seen winning the Vinery at Rosehill in March, makes her Victorian debut today in the A$1million Toorak Handicap over 1600m at Caulfield.

Superstar mare Orchestral finds herself in a vastly different situation than the last time she arrived on Australian shores.

The NZ Derby winner makes her Victorian debut today in the A$1million Toorak Handicap over 1600m at Caulfield but will start the longest price since she debuted at Avondale last year.

The punter’s sweetheart has started odds-on in most of her starts this year but is rated a $12 chance today.

The last time she ventured to Australia she arrived in Sydney one of the hype horses of Australasian racing and won the Group 1 Vinery at Rosehill with James McDonald in the saddle.

Today she has no McDonald and far lower expectations.

McDonald was engaged for Orchestral but after weights for the race weren’t raised when Pride Of Jenni pulled out, the Cambridge mare was left on 54kg, too light for McDonald.

Daniel Stackhouse will now partner Orchestral while McDonald will be without a ride as Pericles, who he bounced to after the weights were released, has been scratched and will race in Sydney instead.

Co-trainer Roger James said while he is happy with his stable star, he realises today is not her perfect race.

“Caulfield is probably not her ideal track as it can be hard on horses who get back,” James said.

“And of course, she has a new rider. It’s not great losing James but we are very happy with Daniel as his replacement and he rides Caulfield really well.”

Orchestral’s chances may be determined by the tempo of the race. If they go hard and the leaders come back to the pack she may swoop better than she did when only eighth at Ellerslie last start, her work since suggesting she is markedly improved.

But Caulfield can be notorious for leaders getting away turning for home and that would make Orchestral’s task difficult.

James and partner Robert Wellwood believe the Empire Rose at Flemington in three weeks will suit Orchestral better and while they would love to win today’s Group 1 punters might be wise to treat this as a lead-up to that target.

There is plenty of other New Zealand interest at Caulfield today, starting with Mahrajaan and (Mister) Wolfgang in the A$300,000 Herbert Power, while Bellatrix Star takes on older sprinters in a Group 2 and Desert Lighting clashes with Orchestral.

Former Kiwi galloper Mr Brightside is $1.70 to win the Might And Power while McDonald is on hot favourite Broadsiding in the Caulfield Guineas, which would be his 100th Group 1 winner if successful.

• Australia’s best pacer Leap To Fame is in doubt for next month’s IRT New Zealand Cup after his shock scratching from tonight’s Victoria Cup.

Leap To Fame has a virus and while still booked to fly to New Zealand in two weeks that trip must now be in some doubt.

Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.