Exciting stayer looking a picture

Wellington Cup winner Graphic has returned to Michael Moroney and Chad Ormsby’s stable in outstanding order.

The lightly-tried staying talent was turned out after his January success in the Group Two feature at Trentham, which came at just his eighth raceday appearance and followed his Dunstan Championship Final victory.

“He’s spelled magnificently, and Chad made the comment that he looked sensational,” Ballymore Stables racing manager Nick Fairweather said.

“The horse has rounded up nicely and put plenty of condition on. Chad said it’s the best the horse has ever looked and he’s settled back into the stable routine nicely.”

Future plans for Graphic have yet to be confirmed, but it is most likely the Volksraad gelding will campaign at home.

“Certainly he’ll be a cups horse, perhaps the Auckland Cup, and maybe next year they will head to Australia with him,” Fairweather said.

A trio of other bright prospects have also returned to the Matamata stable, with Estelle, Le Choix and Stella’s Honour all in the early stages of new preparations.

“Chad’s always been pretty bullish about Estelle,” Fairweather said. “Le Choix is rated pretty highly and didn’t have a lot of luck last time in, and the best is definitely ahead of him.”

Estelle won two of her four autumn starts, while Le Choix, who was sidelined by a hock injury after finishing second in the Gr. 1 Levin Classic, had a year off and returned with an encouraging effort for fifth on Boxing Day before his racing fortunes took another turn for the worse.

He suffered an interrupted run when unplaced at Ellerslie and then slipped and lost his footing at the start of the Gr. 1 Thorndon Mile. He weakened out after being forced to race three wide without cover.

Stella’s Honour has won two of her seven starts and is rated highly by a champion jockey, even though he has yet to partner her on raceday.

“Opie (Bosson) rode her at the trials last year and said she was a Group horse,” Fairweather said. “She has spelled well at Cambridge Stud and looks great.”

NZ Racing Desk