Ortensia. Photo courtesy of Sportspix

The favourite for the Group One Winterbottom Stakes Ortensia (Testa Rossa / Aerate's Pick ) has drawn ideally in barrier two for her target race over 1200m on Saturday at Ascot. Ortensia was victorious in the 1200m race two years ago when it was a Group Two event. She is the clear $2.20 favourite with TAB Sportsbet Fixed Odds betting on Thursday ahead of Rarefied at $6. She will be ridden by the jockey who knows her best, Craig Williams.

The six-year-old mare has won 9 races from 28 starts and more than $1 million in prizemoney. The 2009 Winterbottom Stakes was the start of a winning drought stretching almost two years, which started with a heartbreaking disqualification after the mare submitted a positive urine test, when trained by Tony Noonan, after breaking through for what was thought to be her first Group One win in The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m) in Sydney in 2010.

Ortensia went winless in 10 starts, including nine at Group One level, as her owners searched for the elusive prize with the idea a win in a Group One race was the mare’s destiny after the Stewards took away the glory and likely stud benefits a win at the top level brings.

Ortensia’s owners originally had thoughts of retiring her at the end of last season however decided to switch her from Tony Noonan to Paul Messara in a bid to have one more shot at the top in her last racing season.