David Haworth will be keeping a close eye on weather conditions at Trentham on Friday, with the Pullman Hotel Melbourne (1600m) a hopeful lead-in to a shot at stakes level for his talented gelding Orlov.
The seven-year-old son of Sweynesse resumed stylishly at Otaki last month, finishing second to well-performed mare Sumi. Haworth, based at Foxton, avoided starting on the heavy surface at Trentham in his next assignment, a decision he will continue to follow if the track deteriorates in the next 24 hours.
“I was thrilled with him (at Otaki), he went super that day,” Haworth said.
“He’s done very well since then, I would’ve run him at Wellington the other day but it was just too wet. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that it won’t get too bad tomorrow, but if it gets to a Wellington Heavy 10, he won’t be running.
“I want to run him, because I want to run tomorrow then go to the Wanganui Cup. But, if that’s the way it is, I’ll have to leave him and run at Wanganui on the first day, then back him up a week later, which isn’t what I want to do.
“It’s all weather-dependent, but the horse is very well, he’ll go super if the track is okay and we can get a run.”
If he starts in the race, Orlov will be ridden by leading apprentice Lily Sutherland, who picked up a trio of wins at Riccarton Park on Wednesday.
The Listed Steelform Roofing Group Wanganui Cup (2040m), run on November 30, would be Orlov’s debut at black-type level, the natural progression after a stellar campaign in the autumn where he added a trio of victories to his eight-win haul.
“He had a wind operation which put him out of play for a while, then last year, he got a bug or a virus and went one shocking race, and it took him a long time to come right,” Haworth said.
“Once he did, he ran second then won, then ran second, then went two in a row. He’s just developed into a pretty handy and honest horse and we’ve had a lot of fun with him.”
Haworth co-bred the gelding out of his four-win mare Diamond Cut, who has also produced Diamond Thief, who won or placed in each of his five starts for the trainer before being sold to Hong Kong last year.
“The mare (Diamond Cut) was very quick, being by Guillotine she was a bit busy, but very talented,” he said.
“I got her out to a mile once and she just bolted in, I couldn’t wait to get her out to 2000m. Unfortunately she broke down before we were able to get to that stage, so we’ve continued to breed from her.
“I’ve got a three-year-old at home who is a full-brother to him (Orlov), then I’ve got a two-year-old who is a half-sister by King Of Comedy, she’s a lovely filly. The mare has just had a beautiful colt by Noverre, and she’s just got back in foal to him.
“We had another that we sold to Hong Kong (Diamond Thief), he hasn’t done any good up there yet, but I don’t think he’ll be far away. They think he’s going well again.”