Ortensia

Paul will venture to New Zealand with top sprinting mare Ortensia later this month in a quest for more Group 1 glory.

After winning seven of her first ten starts the daughter of Testa Rossa hadn’t won a race since November 2009 until she was transferred to Paul’s stable earlier this year. The mare obviously loves it at Scone, as she has now raced twice for Paul for two wins including a last start victory in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) and previously in the Listed G H Mumm Stakes.

Ortensia pulled up beautifully since the Perth feature sprint and will now head to the North Island before Christmas.

She’ll fly over to Auckland on 20th December and prepare for the Group 1 Blandford Lodge Railway Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie Racecourse in Auckland on 1st January followed by the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap (1200m) in Wellington at the Trentham racecourse on 21st January.

Paul thinks she will be very well suited in the Railway Stakes, commenting that she’ll get 56kg in the Set Weights and Penalties race and therefore should be very hard to beat. In-form Sydney jockey Christian Reith will partner Ortensia in her New Zealand campaign.