FNQ filly on the way up towards carnival
Oriental Girl’s stay on the Gold Coast was only a short one but that was not a reflection of how the Group 1 winning Edmonds stable felt about the filly.
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Oriental Girl’s stay on the Gold Coast was only short but that was not a reflection of how the Group 1 winning Edmonds stable felt about the filly.
A winner of six north Queensland races, the three-year-old was sent for a tilt at the big guns of the state earlier this year, running fourth, beaten just under two lengths, in her only start for Toby and Trent Edmonds.
As zone racing was introduced, Oriental Girl, previously with Roy Chillemi in Tolga, was going to be limited to racing on the Gold Coast, instead of Doomben and Eagle Farm, which prompted the ownership group to bring the youngster back north.
And, while the filly, by Mossman from Golden Orient, has not won in her two return efforts in FNQ, Chillemi cannot be more impressed with her.
Carrying 61.5kg and caught three wide the trip, Oriental Girl was gunned down by her stablemate Bet On Love yesterday afternoon at Cannon Park, just as she was a few weeks ago by the impressive District.
Master trainer Chillemi decided to bring Oriental Girl back to the north to chase the carnival cash over the coming months and believes she is on track.
“I am very confident with Oriental Girl, you have to consider the big weight, barrier nine and she was three wide the entire way,” Chillemi said.
“She really had to tough it out the entire way, how much more could go wrong? (laughs).
“If you reverse the weights Oriental Girl wins by six lengths.
“Toby was happy with the horse and we thought we could have won a race or two with her down there, but she is only a young QTIS horse that we can have a bit of fun with over the carnival.”
A campaign towards the Cairns Lightning Handicap was put on the agenda for the impressive Oriental Girl earlier this year by Chillemi.
Bet On Love, ridden by jockey Stephen Wilson, got a perfect run down the inside of the Cannon Park track to claim the QTIS Three-Years-Old Handicap (950m) yesterday as the stablemate tired in the closing stages.
Hoop Ngarie Nelson, riding roughie Sin Tan, made leading Tablelands rider Wanderson D’Avila work double time on Oriental Girl as they were forced wide.
CJC president Tom Hedley collected half of the races on offer on Thursday at Cairns, as Technician for trainer Fred Wieland and jockey Graham Kliese took out the Maiden Handicap (1250m), which landed a few big bets, followed by a late double for premier local horseman Stephen Massingham.
Big-time owner Hedley almost picked up a first four himself in the sixth race, but had to settle for the trifecta as Aberration, trained by Georgie Holt, just got in for fourth.
Meanwhile, the Massingham-trained Desert Cowboy defied the massive weight to pick up career win number 12 in the Open Handicap (950m), ridden a treat by Irishman Stephen Wilson.
Originally published as FNQ filly on the way up towards carnival