C F ORR STAKES
1400m, $500,000, weight-for-age
HISTORY
* First run in 1925 when won The Patrol
* Run at Group One level from 1993
* Weight-for-age with penalties from 1925-1942. Handicap 1943-45. Weight-for-age since
* First run at Williamstown until 1940. Also run at Moonee Valley and Flemington. Sandown from 1966-1996. Caulfield 1997 onwards
NOTABLE WINNERS
* Heroic (1927); Flight (1946); Rising Fast (1956); Lord (1959-60); Tobin Bronze (1967); All Shot (1974); Leilani (1975); Hyperno (1978); Manikato (1979-80-81); Vo Rogue (1988-89-90); Saintly (1997); Redoute’s Choice (2000); Lonhro (2004); Typhoon Tracy (2010-2011); Black Caviar (2012); All Too Hard (2013), Hartnell (2018)
TALKING POINTS
* Seven individual Group One winners among the 16-horse field
* The first Group One race of the Melbourne autumn carnival
* Luke Nolen with be chasing Michael Clarke’s record of five wins when he rides So Si Bon. Last won on Moment For Change in 2014
* Godolphin will rely on Kementari and Best Of Days as it chases back-to-back wins following Hartnell’s victory last year
* The Orr Stakes was once an autumn starting point for Melbourne Cup winners from the previous spring including winners Comic Court (1951), Rising Fast (1956), At Talaq (1987), Let’s Elope (1992), Jeune (1995) and Saintly (1997)
WHAT THE KEY PLAYERS ARE SAYING:
* “We’ve started working him over a bit longer and he doesn’t turn a hair, if anything he looks like he’s enjoying it” – Redkirk Warrior’s co-trainer Tom Dabernig
* “He has run second in two Group Ones (in Perth) so he’s not far away. The depth is probably stronger here but he always acquits himself well” – Material Man’s trainer Justin Warwick
* “This is a beautiful target first-up and it’s easy to imagine him being highly competitive” – trainer James Cummings on Kementari
* “There’s no doubt he’ll be better suited over further but he was luckless fresh-up last campaign and he has good enough 1400-metre form to think he won’t be too far away” – Best Of Days’ trainer James Cummings
