News

Ortensia relaxed and fit for Royal Ascot entree to Caviar main course

15th Jun 2012

Sydney Morning Herald - Andrew Eddy - Friday, 15 June 2012

SHE might be many lengths inferior to superstar Black Caviar, but fellow Australian mare Ortensia is already attracting plenty of support as she prepares for a second international win in Tuesday's group 1 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot.

With the unbeaten Black Caviar rated a $1.25 chance to win the Diamond Jubilee Stakes on June 23, bookmakers are expecting ''an avalanche'' of money for Ortensia to open

Royal Ascot week in winning style for the Australians - the mare is already as short as $3.90 after settling easily into life in England.

''Few punters can get near Black Caviar at her odds, and they are betting with her out of the market in England at the moment so short is she, so punters are taking the next best option - the other Aussie mare with the group 1 form, and that is Ortensia in the King's Stand,'' said Centrebet's Michael Felgate.

''She is by far the most popular with us already, and we are expecting that support to just grow.''

Ortensia won the group 1 Al Quoz Sprint at Dubai on World Cup night, and trainer Paul Messara said yesterday he could not be happier with the way the mare had taken to her surroundings at Newmarket.