Orchestral winning at Ellerslie. Photo / Kenton Wright / Race Images
Superstar mare Orchestral remains a contender for Saturday’s $700,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes, but only just.
Because while the 4-year-old turning up in the Group 1 would set up a glamour-girl clash with Snazzytavi and La Crique, the reality is Orchestral is more likely to bypass the race and head to the Group 1 1600m at Ellerslie on February 22.
Trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood have been torn between the Herbie Dyke this Saturday over 2000m or the Sport Nation Ōtaki Māori Classic, which has been moved from Ōtaki to Ellerslie to bring it closer to the majority of horses who will contest it.
The question is more complex than whether Orchestral can win this Saturday. Anybody who saw her brilliantly return to form in the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic on Karaka Millions night knows she is up to the best gallopers in the country, and her trainers admit she is ready for the step up to 2000m.
“But it is not just about that,” explains co-trainer Robert Wellwood.
“We want to do what is best for her, and also what could give her the best longevity this campaign.
“She would be very competitive this Saturday but we are asking ourselves, ‘Is that the best path?’
“It means backing up two weeks after a big mile at Ellerslie against a hot field of horses ready for a hard 2000m, which is what it will be.
“So we are now leaning toward the mile on February 22. then into the $1m Bonecrusher NZ Stakes on Champions Day [March 8].
“We know she is ready for 2000m but she will still go a big mile in a couple of weeks, and we think that is the best path to have her peaking on Champions Day.
“And, it could leave more in the tank if we want to go to Australia after the Bonecrusher.” Because the Herbie Dyke was an early nomination race, James and Wellwood left Orchestral in the entries yesterday just in case anything happened to the other key contenders on Tuesday.
“You of course don’t wish that on any good horse, but we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t give her [Orchestral] options, so we will leave her in and more than likely pull her out on Wednesday morning at acceptance time.”
Even if Orchestral comes out of the Herbie Dyke, it could have seven Group 1 winners entered, and the race has some added spice with the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained Numerian already in New Zealand and certain to start.
As good as the Herbie Dyke will be, it has competition for the race of a sparkling day from the $500,000 BCD Sprint.
The 1400m Group 1 sees Savaglee step into open company against this season’s sprint sensation Grail Seeker, who is looking to make it three Group 1s in as many starts this season, something very few horses would ever have attempted, let alone achieved.
They are set to clash with locals Luberon, Navigator, Babylon Berlin, Waitak and Sacred Satono, to mention a few of the locals, as well as Australian raiders Here To Shock and 3-year-old Bosustow.
Here To Shock is a last-start winner of the A$1m Supernova at Cranbourne but also won the BRC Sprint, Cameron Handicap and the A$1.5m Alan Brown over 1400m at Rosehill last year, so adds genuine Australian class as a Rating 108 galloper from the Hayes stable.
Bosustow is another from the Neasham/Archibald stable and won the Magic Millions Guineas last start, and comes to Te Rapa looking for the Group 1 to cement his stallion career.
The meeting is one of the highlights of the season and sees some of the best 3-year-olds step their NZ Derby and NZ Oaks campaigns up to 2000m in the $275,000 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas and the $275,000 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic.
The entries for the latter will remain open until 9am on Wednesday since it only had six fillies nominated yesterday as trainers work through the plethora of 3-year-old options this summer.
When: This Saturday. First race scheduled for 12.30pm.
What: Waikato Thoroughbred Racing’s glamour meeting of the year.
Who: Over a dozen Group 1 winners and three visiting Australian gallopers.
Highlights: $700,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes, $500,000 BCD Sprint, $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic, $275,000 David And Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic, $275,000 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas.
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.