Jockey Tommy Berry is expecting a strong showing from Order Of The Sun in the 2014 Chipping Norton Stakeson Saturday and believes that the wet Warwick Farm surface will suit the talented colt.
Order Of The Sun is set to make his Group 1 debut in the 2014 Chipping Norton Stakes at Warwick Farm on Saturday. Photo by: Steve Hart
Order Of The Sun returned to racing with a tough win over Agadir and Mr One Eleven in the Klink Handicap (1600m) at Royal Randwick on February 8 and trainer Gai Waterhouse has elected to throw the son of Encosta De Lago in the deep end this weekend.
Berry admits that the Chipping Norton Stakes is a massive step-up in class for Order Of The Sun, but said that he has always had a high opinion of the colt and is confident that he will perform well this weekend.
“He is a beautiful Encosta De Lago colt and he is a strapping looking fellow,” Berry told Sky Racing HQ.
“He has worked very well on we tracks at home and I think that he will get through it quite well.
“He has a beautiful clean action and he is only very lightly raced; he has only had six starts and he has filled the winners’ circle three times.”
There are only eight runners in the 2014 Chipping Norton Stakes field, which is headlined by the returning It’s A Dundeel, and there doesn’t appear to be a great deal of pace in the Group 1 event.
Order Of The Sun has shown plenty of tactical speed in his six career starts and Berry confirmed that he will be taking the three-year-old to the lead on Saturday and hopes to catch the rest of the field napping.
“He is a horse that has always shown above average ability and obviously this is a step-up, running into It’s A Dundeel and Boban on Saturday, but I think that the wet track will suit him quiet well and there doesn’t look like being a heap on pace in the race either,” Berry said.
“He will be right up there on the pace and he will definitely give them something to catch.
“His win first-up over a mile was a courageous effort and he has improved a lot.
“He has taken a lot out of his fitness, but in saying that I think that he will improve immensely out of Saturday as well.”
Order Of The Sun is currently available at Chipping Norton Stakes odds of $19; with It’s A Dundeel ($1.90) the clear favourite from the Chris Waller-trained trio of Boban ($4.20), Hawkspur ($8.50) and Moriarty ($9.50).
