Ormsby hoping for St Leger scratching

Listed VRC St Leger (2800m) start in the balance for Seven Falls. Source: Trish Dunell.

Former successful jockey Chad Ormsby could line up his first Australian stakes contender at Flemington on Wednesday, but he won’t be training the horse afterwards.

He has the three-year-old Seven Falls, who is the first on the ballot for the Listed VRC St Leger (2800m) and is keen to get a start with the son of Niagara.

“I know he’s a maiden, but he’ll love the distance,” Ormsby said.

“He’s been sold to OTI Racing and he’ll probably go up to Sydney to be trained after this. “I put him on the plane last Wednesday and he was sold overnight.

“I had this race in mind for him. It’ll be tough over 2800m after just two runs over ground, but he’s well and, if he gets in, he’s a chance.”

Seven Falls is temporarily based at the stables of Ormsby’s former training partner, Mike Moroney, and ex-Kiwi jockey Daniel Stackhouse has been booked for the St Leger ride.

Seven Falls was bred by Greg and Jo Griffin’s Lime Country Thoroughbreds and raced by them in partnership with Ormsby.

“He came to me as a problem child as a yearling to be re-broken,” Ormsby said.

“I got him to prepare for the Ready To Run sale, but it was just too early for him. “He’s taken a bit more time and will be better as he matures.”

Seven Falls made his debut over 1400 metres at Te Rapa last December when seventh, then showed improvement when third over 1600m at Avondale before beaten a nose in his first staying test over 2000m at Avondale early last month.

He stepped into stronger company last start and finished well for third behind Azaboy and Pierrocity over 2100m at Pukekohe. That form was boosted when Azaboy went on to win the Group 2 Valachi Downs Championship Stakes (2100m) on Saturday and Pierrocity finished fourth in the Pukekohe feature.

“We could have run him in that race, too, but thought he’d be better suited over in Melbourne,” Ormsby said. “We also thought about the Queensland Derby, but with it being at Doomben and back to 2200 metres it would be short of his best.”

Ormsby is in Matamata, but he will make the trip if Seven Falls gets into the St Leger field.

He also has a runner accepted for Avondale on Wednesday, but, as with the case of Seven Falls, Chelsea Street needs one scratching to make the final field.

“She had no luck first-up at New Plymouth,” said Ormsby, who has four racehorses in work and concentrates mostly on breaking-in and early education with up to 30 in his stable.

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