C.F. ORR STAKES

[Paddy]

No. Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight
1 NORTHERLY Fred Kersley P Payne 7 58
2 DON EDUARDO (NZ) Lee Freedman N Callow 3 58
3 MR. MURPHY Lee Freedman B Prebble 5 58
4 FIELDS OF OMAGH Tony McEvoy G Childs 4 58
5 PERNOD (NZ) Michael Moroney D Oliver 1 55.5
6 YELL John Hawkes D Gauci 6 54.5
7 INNOVATION GIRL Brian Mayfield-Smith S Baster 2 52

[Paddy]

Courtesy The West Australian website:

TALENTED three-year-olds Innovation Girl and Yell hold the key to today's $300,000 C F Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, according to the connections of star older horses Northerly and Fields Of Omagh.

Since Saintly won the Orr as a four-year-old in 1997, three-year-olds have dominated the race, with Special Dane, Grand Archway, Redoute's Choice, Desert Sky and Barkada all winning.

Fred Kersley, trainer of champion Northerly who was runner-up last year, rates this year's edition a stronger field collectively and said Innovation Girl and Yell would be hard to run down in the Group 1 weight-for-age event.

"With her weight (52kg) and the times Innovation Girl runs, it will make it hard," Kersley said.

Bryan Martin, one of the two managers of the No Big Deal Syndicate which part-owns Fields Of Omagh, said the prospects of his horse and Northerly depended on the tactics applied by jockey Darren Gauci on the John Hawkes-trained Yell.

"Innovation Girl is the leader and it depends on how much pressure Yell puts on her," Martin said.

"Hopefully he will put on plenty and we'll be back sitting fourth."

Martin, a leading Melbourne race caller, paid Northerly a huge compliment, describing him as the best horse he had seen in 30 or 40 years.

"I wish Fred and Northerly missed the plane," he quipped.

"Facts and figures say it is almost impossible (for Fields Of Omagh to beat Northerly) but Fields Of Omagh is very good fresh and will run well."

Kersley said Northerly would be at his most vulnerable today because he usually is at his first run back from a spell, and running at a distance shorter than his best.

"I fancy Fields Of Omagh will be a little more forward than Northerly for this race, plus Northerly has had to travel over from Perth this week," he said.

Both Northerly and Fields Of Omagh are on the Australian Cup trail, Martin yesterday ruling out a start for Fields Of Omagh in the Singapore Classic (1800m) on March 7.

Martin said that after the Australian Cup, Fields Of Omagh would go to Sydney for the Ranvet Stakes and possibly The Doncaster.

Trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith said he was looking forward to Innovation Girl taking on her first Group 1 assignment today.

He said the filly looked "a bit pretty" in the mounting yard before she won The Debonair (1400m) at Flemington last Saturday.

"She looks fitter and harder now," he said.

Trainer John Hawkes said Yell, who beat Innovation Girl at Caulfield at their only meeting in February last year, now had to step up and prove himself at the highest level at a distance he was yet to tackle.

"Northerly is one of the best horses in the world and you have to have a bit of a fitness edge to compete against that type of horse," Hawkes said.

"If they were all at the same (fitness) level, I think Northerly would beat us all."

[Paddy]

INNOVATION GIRL to just hold off NORTHERLY, with PERNOD third.

[storm]

Innovation Girl
Yell
Northerly

[Zorba]

4
5
7

[Touchy]

Pernod,Races best at Caulfield & will improve on her ist up effort,If the fav starts to look over the shoulder near the end this is the one that she may see.Cheers Touchy.

[TESTAROSSA]

(4) Fields Of Omagh for me , from (1) Northerly and (7) Innovation Girl.

[El Gordo]

(4) Fields of Omagh to be too good for them 1st up, from (7) Innovation Girl and (6) Yell - both suited at the weights. Doubt if Northerly is forward enough over the 1400m against this smart field.

[Bozo]

YELL will be spot on for this.
Deserves to be equal favourite and represents great value in a small field.
Back him each way if you like because he is almost certain to finish top two.
YELL YELL YELL

Cheers,
Bozo

[BettyBoop]

No 7 Innovation Girl will be too nippy for them. No 4 Fields Of Omagh running on hard. So too no 1 Northerly. Throw in no 3 Mr Murphy at odds for the multiples.

[Paddy]

06 C.F. ORR STKS
1400 Metres
3:50pm


WIN/PLACE
6 4.70 2.50
4...............2.50
7.............N.T.D.

QUINELLA (4-6) 10.90
EXACTA (6-4) 25.30
TRIFECTA
(6-4-7) 43.10
FIRST 4
(6-4-7-1) 109.50

(6) YELL (D.GAUCI)
(4) FIELDS OF OMAGH (G.CHILDS)
(7) INNOVATION GIRL (S.BASTER)

SCR - NIL

PROTESTS:
2ND (4) AGAINST 1ST (6)
-DISMISSED

[Paddy]

Divis not all that flash, that’s racing!

Paddy - 3rd and 4th, think Pernod needs the sting out of the ground to show his best.

storm – 1st, 3rd and 4th

Zorba – 2nd and 3rd

TESTAROSSA – 2nd, 3rd and 4th

El Gordo – 1st, 2nd and 3rd Also spot on re Northerly

Bozo – Picked Yell, but did seem to lack confidence with his prediction :grin:

BettyBoop – 2nd, 3rd and 4th

Thanks to all that joined in :wink: