Horse Racing

Ortensia set for Nunthrope Stakes

Paul Messara has no intentions of sending Ortensia back to Australia with the Group 1 winning mare set to continue racing in Europe and the UK.

After winning the Group 2 King George Stakes on Friday, Ortensia has now recorded Group race victories in Australia, Asia and Europe.

The daughter of Testa Rossa will have an opportunity to improve on her exceptional international record with Messara preparing her for the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York on August 24 and the Group 1 Haydock Sprint Cup in September with the Prix de l’Abbaye (run on the same weekend as the (Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe) not out of the question.

Ortensia has now won £1,278,106 in 33 career starts; £1,163,406 of which has come from her nine victories at stakes level.

The mare won her first stakes race in the Group 3 Thousand Guineas Prelude as a 3-year-old in 2008. She returned the next season and claimed the Group 2 Winning Edge Presentations Plate and the QTC Cup in Brisbane.

Group 1 glory eluded her until she finally broke through in the 2011 Winterbottom Stakes, prevailing by a length over Rarefied and Grand Nirvana. She followed that up with an impressive victory in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai which was her first run overseas.

Ortensia looks set to clash with fellow Australian Starspangledbanner in the Nuntrhope stakes, which Aidan O’Brien has targeted as his star sprinters return to racing.