New Zealand star Orchestral faces big test against Zardozi in Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill

Kiwi trainer Roger James knew Orchestral was always destined for stardom but admits he is unsure what her ceiling is.

James McDonald steers star Kiwi filly Orchestral to victory in the Karaka Millions 3YO in January.

Roger James knows a good racehorse when he sees one. He’s been training them for more than four decades.

Think of Tidal Light, Hades, Zonda, Roysyn, Silent Achiever, Prowess, all outstanding racehorses and multiple Group 1 winners.

But then there is Orchestral.

For all of James’s skill and knowledge, his experience and success, even he is unsure how to categorise the three-year-old filly who has set New Zealand racing alight this season.

“I can’t tell you how good she is because I just don’t know yet,’’ James said.

“But I would have to say she is up there with the best horses I have trained, very definitely.

“Of course she doesn’t have the record some of those had because she is so lightly raced but is definitely up there with the best I have had through the stable.

“I can only rely on what my riders say and everyone who rides this filly in trackwork and in her races tell me she is something special.

“We are still learning about her and she is still learning the game – she is so exciting.’’

At Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, Orchestral makes her Australian debut in the Group 1 $750,000 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m).

The feature race on the program is the Tancred Stakes but such is Orchestral’s reputation, her clash with Godolphin’s Zardozi and the likes of Kimochi and others means the Vinery Stud Stakes is challenging for race of the day status.

In early TAB betting for Saturday’s race, Orchestral, winner of five of her eight starts, is into $1.90 favourite ahead of Zardozi at $3.50.

But James is under no illusions about the task confronting his filly after he watched from afar when Zardozi destroyed her rivals in the Phar Lap Stakes last start.

“I wish I didn’t (see her),’’ said James when asked if he watched Zardozi’s race.

“She is obviously a pretty special filly.

“But all you can do in racing is be happy with your own horse and we are happy with our filly.’’

"An Orchestral masterpiece in the derby"

She jumped slow but it didn't matter she was a class above them in the G1 Trackside NZ Derby@Kingsclere_Nz | @RobertWellwood | @Roger_JamesNZ | @CraigGrylls | @WaikatoStud | @KarakaChat | @HaunuiFarmpic.twitter.com/8cpZbdpaqN

— TAB Racing (@TAB_Racing) March 2, 2024

Orchestral completed her main work for the Vinery Stud Stakes at Cambridge earlier in the week before being flown to Sydney.

James, who has trained in partnership with Robert Wellwood since 2018, said Orchestral is fit and ready for her Sydney campaign.

“She’s thriving, she’s done so well,’’ James said.

“We gave her a piece of work earlier this week and her work was stunning.

“I don’t think the travel is an issue, either. She is a very sensible filly, very laid-back, a very relaxed filly.’’

Orchestral is a well-bred daughter of New Zealand’s champion sire Savabeel out of the O’Reilly mare Symphonic and was purchased for $625,000 as a yearling.

But if you go back far enough in her pedigree, perhaps this provides a clue to her abundant talent as she has the blood of all-time greats Secretariat and Ribot coursing through her veins.

Orchestral’s sireline traces back to Sir Gaylord, who is a half-brother to the legendary Secretariat, winner of the 1973 US Triple Crown and regarded by many as the greatest racehorse of them all.

On the filly’s damline, she is a direct descendant of the mighty Ribot, unbeaten in 16 starts including successive Prix de l’Arc de Triomphes in 1955-56.

James said when Orchestral was put into work as a two-year-old, it was soon apparent she was blessed with above average ability.

“This filly from day one looked very special,’’ the trainer said.

Orchestral had two starts as a two-year-old when she was narrowly and lucklessly beaten on debut at Avondale before winning her maiden easily at Hastings.

James and Wellwood spelled their filly ahead of the spring carnival last year but she was disappointing in her comeback effort in a Group 3 race at Hastings.

Orchestral’s run was totally out of character and sensing something wasn’t quite right with the three-year-old, James sent her back to the spelling paddock.

“We hit a speed bump in the spring, I don’t know why,’’ James said.

“But I felt we needed to put her back out and the owners backed us. They were happy for us to spell the filly.

“Since she has returned to training, she has not put a foot wrong. It’s turned out sending her for a spell in the spring was the right thing to do.’’

Orchestral resumed racing in the Group 3 Bonecrusher Stakes, finishing the closest of seconds when again she didn’t endure the easiest of runs.

But since then Orchestral’s star has soared into the stratosphere as she reeled off four consecutive wins including the Karaka Millions, the Avondale Guineas and the New Zealand Derby.

It's a Karaka Millions double for @mcacajamez! Orchestral puts them away late to claim the 3YO edition at @ellerslie_races! 🏇🏆 pic.twitter.com/eboSRjYaqc

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 27, 2024

Sydney’s champion jockey James McDonald rode Orchestral in her Karaka Millions win and gets back on the filly for the Vinery Stud Stakes.

James revealed McDonald was riding in Hong Kong late last year when he rang the trainer and asked if he could partner his filly in the Karaka Millions.

“I thought about it for about five seconds,’’ James laughed.

“When he rode her in the Karaka Millions, he gave me an incredible report after that race.’’

McDonald, Sydney’s reigning premier jockey, has ridden many outstanding racehorses during his spectacular career but his first and only ride on Orchestral so far left an indelible impression on him.

“James told me after the race that he didn’t know what he had underneath him and the filly didn’t really know what she was there for,’’ the trainer said.

“But when he asked her to go, she took off and won by three or four lengths racing away.

“If you look at the replay, 100m past the post she was further in front. She does that ever time, no horse ever passes her after the line.

“She wins her races with a fair amount of dominance. In the Derby, she got a long way out of her ground, she doesn’t have a lot of early speed, but then she rounds them up so quickly.’’

James talks with obvious enthusiasm about his rising superstar filly – and for good reason.

But the three-time champion New Zealand trainer is also optimistic about the future of the racing industry in that country after it has enduring a tumultuous decade where prizemoney fell and some of the nation’s leading trainers and jockeys moved to Australia or other countries.

“I’ve weathered more storms than most over here,’’ James said.

“I can remember the day, during the Horlicks time, when (English trainers) John Dunlop and Clive Brittain were bringing horses to race in New Zealand, not Australia.

“Then came the beginning of the end for us and it bottomed out a few years ago.

“During that period, it was very hard to be positive about the industry to our owners. You would go home at night and worry about the future.

“But it’s turning around in New Zealand, wagering is trending the right way and people are optimistic again.

“I can’t imagine it ever getting to your standards in Australia but if we can earn a living from the sport, then everyone is happy.’’

Orchestral after winning the Magic Millions 3YO. Picture: Race Images

It also helps when you have a gifted filly like Orchestral in the stable.

James won’t be at Rosehill on Saturday as he is making the trip to Melbourne to saddle up Mark Twain in the Roy Higgins Quality at Flemington.

Wellwood is in Sydney with Orchestral for the Vinery Stud Stakes.

“We are hoping Mark Twain is our (Melbourne) Cup horse. He ran third in the Auckland Cup when he flashed home,’’ James said.

“He also ran fourth in our NZ Derby last year when he drew wide and went back to last and came home the quickest sectionals.

“I will go to Flemington on Saturday but we will swap over for Randwick.’’

James said Orchestral’s Vinery Stud Stakes effort will determine her next Sydney start at Royal Randwick during The Championships – and there are three Group 1 options: $2m ATC Australian Derby (2400m) on April 6, or a week later in either the $5m Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) or the $1m ATC Australian Oaks (2400m).

“We will watch her performance at Rosehill and assess the path of everything else as well,’’ James said.

“It’s most likely we will go to the Oaks but we are keeping our options open.’’

Originally published as New Zealand star Orchestral faces big test against Zardozi in Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill