Orr Stakes return for Awesome Rock

Monday 6 February 2017, 5:21pm

The world stage awaits Awesome Rock who will launch his campaign in the C F Orr Stakes at Caulfield.

Saturday's 1400m event is the first Group One race pencilled in for the Emirates Stakes winner in a campaign that could also include feature races in Dubai and Hong Kong.

Awesome Rock is scheduled to contest the Orr Stakes, Peter Young Stakes and the Australian Cup (2000m) in Melbourne.

"As long as he runs well in those three then he will definitely head to Dubai," co-trainer Troy Corstens said.

"If he races well in Dubai we'll stop off at Hong Kong on the way home."

The $US6 million ($A7.8 million) Dubai Turf (1800m) is the race Awesome Rock would contest in Dubai on March 25 while the Hong Kong option is the QEII Cup (2000m) on April 30.

Corstens, who trains in partnership with his father Leon, said it was exciting to be looking at those races with Awesome Rock who lost last year's Australian Cup on protest to Preferment.

He broke through at Group One level in the $2 million Emirates Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in November.

Awesome Rock is one of 10 Group One winners among the 17 nominations for Saturday's race and Corstens believes he has come back as well as last campaign.

"I'm not saying he can win but I'd be really disappointed if he didn't run really well," Corstens said.

"We've got a long preparation ahead of us and obviously his best form is over a mile to 2000 metres, but he is well and nice and fresh."

Black Heart Bart has opened the $3.40 favourite ahead of Malaguerra at $4 and Lucky Hussler at $7.50 while Awesome Rock is at $26.

Awesome Rock was taken to Moonee Valley to gallop on Monday morning.

"We took him there with a partner and the partner sort of took off a bit," Corstens said.

"So the work wasn't perfect for the other horse but it was really good for Awesome Rock because he settled beautifully and then really had to chase down the other horse hard."

– AAP

Latest News

Prime Thoroughbreds - We have a Host of Leaders in our Team

Tuesday, 29 June 2021

Prime Thor­ough­bred’s cur­rent rac­ing team is putt­ing to­gether quite a re­cord. We have 22 hors­es that have raced in our team at pre­sent. Six­teen of th­ese are win­n­ers in­clud­ing the Stakes win­n­ing trio Ru­bisa­ki, Fituese and Xtreme­time with Miss Di­vine Em and Miss In Charge run­n­ing 4th in Stakes races. This sees a stakes win­n­er to win­n­er ra­tio of 18.75% with a stake’s per­formed to win­n­er ra­tio of 31.25%. Th­ese are ex­cep­tio­n­al fig­ures.   More »

Freedmans land maiden Group One win

Saturday, 27 February 2021

Un­der-rat­ed fil­ly For­bid­den Love has emerged as an au­tumn car­ni­val smokey with a bril­liant per­for­mance to win the Sur­round Stakes at Rand­wick.  More »

Capriccio completes Damian Lane treble

Saturday, 27 February 2021

In a big day for coun­try-trained hors­es, War­r­nam­bool fil­ly Capric­cio has tak­en out the In­glis Dash for Daniel Bow­man.  More »

More news headlines »