Orchidra out of ‘mile’

Press, 15 March 1980, Page 21

Orchidra out of ‘mile’

By

PAUL MEIN

Orchidra’s third attempt to win the $40,000 Penfold mile at Trentham today has been aborted. Second to March Legend

in this race two years ago, and knocked out of contention last year, Orchidra was high on the list of fancies for the metric mile after her last-to-first triumph in the North Island Challenge Stakes last Saturday. Her trainer, Noel Eales has decided to reserve her for the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes'at Te Rapa next week, a race she has already won twice. ' On hand for that event will be her Clyde owner, Mrs Dorothy Sanders, who, incredibly, has only seen her colour-bearer win once, as a three-j’ear-old in the C.J.C’s Warstep Stakes. Des Harris, Orchidra’s usual partner, has now switched to the Orari grey, Flying View.’

Mellseur, the main hope for a South Island victory, will also have a change of rider today. Nick Harnett who sided with the mare when she won the N.Z. Aluminium Smelter Stakes at Gore in January, will be back abroad today. The topweight and Air New Zealand Stakes winner, Arbre Chene, will be the mount of Warwick Robinson. Robinson rode Arbre Chene to a firstup win in the Shorts Handicap at Avondale last term.