Orchestral looking to hit right note at Hastings
Orchestral and Paragon, both three-year-olds trained by Roger James and Robert Wellwood, are gearing up for their upcoming races with flexibility in mind.
Orchestral will make her seasonal debut in the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings.
Although she’s favoured for the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, Wellwood cautioned that she’s not a pure 1200m sprinter and is better suited to longer distances.
He mentioned, “She has showed that she’s got a lot of ability, but is up against some sharper fillies that can jump and put themselves on speed over 1200m.”
However, her connections hope to see her finish strongly, and winning on Saturday would signify her potential.
Paragon, on the other hand, will compete in a less demanding race at Ruakaka.
Despite being runner-up in both of his juvenile starts, he’s being given time to develop.
Wellwood stated, “We’ve just got to let the spring unfold and go from there, we have got multiple options.”
Paragon’s pedigree includes Embellish, the winner of the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), which makes his participation in the Guineas an exciting prospect for his owners.