Winterbottom Ortensia takes it to the world stage

Perth Turf Talk | Australian Racing | Fri 3 August, 2012

Ortentsia finally showed the British public her true worth when routing the field in the King George Stakes.

The Australian mare was bogged down by the soft conditions at Royal Ascot and the July Cup, but with conditions on top at Goodwood she gave weight and a beating to her rivals with ridiculous ease.

The race did not actually go ideally for Ortentsia, as she was squeezed out at the start and was adrift after a furlong. But she has a touch of class and once William Buick angled her out for a run she flew.

Ortentsia made up ground at a rate of knots, was in front at the furlong pole and powered away to take the Group Two with ease.

Quest For Peace enhanced his Melbourne Cup credentials with an all-the-way success in the Group Three Glorious Stakes.

Kieren Fallon set only a modest gallop on the four-year-old before ramping up the pace with half a mile to run. Having saved plenty in front, Quest For Peace found plenty for Fallon's urgings and Luca Cumani's charge stayed on well for a ready success from Dandino and Gatewood.

There was a dead heat between Trumpet Major and Archbishop in the RSA Thoroughbred Stakes. Richard Hannon's Trumpet Major looked sure to oblige when arriving on the bridle for Richard Hughes with a furlong to run, but the concession of 4lbs began to tell in the final strides as Frankie Dettori got Archbishop to draw level on the line.

The hard-luck story of the race was the well backed Aljamaheer who travelled superbly but was checked in his run as the horses converged. Once seeing daylight, Aljamaheer flew home but it was only good enough for third.
 

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