The on-again-off-again career aspirations of Ortensia have seemingly helped gloss over the fact that this old girl is having a great season, with wins in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) and the King George Stakes (G2) at Goodwood. Now, she goes as one of the favourites in an expected 19-horse field in Friday’s Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (G1) at York. Read more from the Sydney Morning Herald.
Second in the Al Quoz Sprint, Sole Power is a fairly clear fourth-choice Royal Ascot winner, and perennial Carnival-goer Dandy Boy is quoted at 25-1 by most bookmakers. Carnival winner Nocturnal Affair goes as a second-runner for trainer David Marnane, while Invincible Ash, the Meydan Sprint (Listed) winner from 2012 is also in the lineup. Geoffrey Riddle has a great preview in The National, which highlights how several from the Nunthorpe are expecting a return engagement to Dubai in 2013.