Trainer Michael Bell is hoping for another big run from Goodwood Cup scorer Big Orange
Saturday 15 August 2015 13:55, UK
Trainer Michael Bell is anticipating another good effort from his star performer Big Orange, on track to appear in the Weatherbys Hamilton Insurance Lonsdale Cup at York on Friday.
The son of Duke Of Marmalade has been a revelation this summer, winning a brace of Group 2s at major festivals.
His first win of 2015 came at odds of 25/1 in the Princess of Wales’s Stakes at Newmarket. He produced a gutsy performance to beat subsequent Group 1 winner, Second Step, by half a length.
Big Orange then went to Glorious Goodwood for the Goodwood Cup, stepping up in trip to two miles. Again he showed great tenacity to hold off Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris and John Smith’s Northumberland Plate scorer, Quest For Peace in a memorable finish.
Both placed horses also feature in a 20-strong entry for the £160,000 Group 2 at York.
It has been Big Orange's target since that last success and looks likely to be the final time he is seen on British soil this season as Bell hopes to send his star ‘Down Under’ for a tilt at the Melbourne Cup in November.
Bell said: “Melbourne is very much the plan and the Lonsdale will be his last run before the Melbourne Cup.
“He has had a stellar summer and hopefully it continues on Friday. His win at Newmarket came as a bit of a surprise but we expected him to run very well at Goodwood and he did it well.
“I have been pleased with him since Goodwood and he goes to York in good shape. We are keeping one eye on the ground as he doesn’t want it soft but I think it is settling down so he should get his conditions come Friday.
“It is great that he has come good – he is a lovely horse – a strong galloper with lots of scope and a really great attitude. A pleasure to train.”
Gold Cup regular Simenon and Galway Hurdle second Max Dynamite represent Willie Mullins, with Dermot Weld's Silwana and the Sabrina Harty-trained Kalann adding further Irish interest.
Clever Cookie (Peter Niven), Vent De Force (Hughie Morrison), Mizzou (Luca Cumani) and Tac De Boistron (Marco Botti) are other runners of note.
