TESTA ROSSA mare Ortensia will remain in England for a tilt at the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes (1000m) while Golden Slipper hero Sepoy will return home after the Australian sprinters’ contrasting efforts in the July Cup last weekend.
The Paul Messara-trained Ortensia finished a brave fourth behind the winner, British galloper Mayson, while Sepoy beat only one home in the 12-horse field.
A total of 19mm of rain the night before the race rendered the famously testing Newmarket course a bog, conditions which neither visitor is comfortable in.
“I think it is up there with her best performances,” Messara said of Ortensia. “It was a massive effort in extremely trying conditions. I considered coming to the races in an ark and with flippers and a mask there was so much rain.”
Vinery’s Adam White said that Ortensia would have lost no fans despite finishing on the heels of the placegetters.
“Paul said before the race that he wanted the track as firm as possible to negate some of these runners’ accustomed wet tracks you see in the UK, but it wasn’t to be,” White said.
“As it was she ran fantastic given the track surface and also that she had to be ridden closer than usual which takes away from that devastating spring that we saw in Dubai.”
“A fast run 1000m in the Nunthorpe is ideal for her – I think so long as the track isn’t super wet, we’ll get to see her at her brilliant best.”
