Australian mare Ortensia’s chance to snare a Group One win in England has been dealt a blow with a wet track for the Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
Trainer Paul Messara has walked the track and says the prestigious sprint on Friday (Saturday morning AEST) will be run on a track that would be rated heavy in Australia.
“No good news for horses wanting dry ground tomorrow. Far softer than I expected. Would be rated as Heavy in Australia. So frustrating,” Messara tweeted.
Assistant clerk of the course Anthea Morshead said the five millimetres of rain which hit the course was unexpected.
“We were caught in a line of rain the Met Office hadn’t warned us about,” she told the Racing Post.
“I don’t expect it to dry out now, and if we have more rain it can only get slower.”
Ortensia’s overseas campaign began on a high in March when she won the Group One Al Quoz Sprint (1000m) at the Dubai World Cup meeting.
She then finished ninth in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot and fourth in the July Cup, both on rain-affected ground.
On a firmer track the mare showed her true form to win the Group Two King George Stakes (1006m) at Goodwood on August 3.
