Lonely Orphan might have qualified for a $300,000 staying test at Warnambool by winning at Grafton over 3120m but the Tamworth mare’s next target is at Tuesday’s Scone meeting, where her trainer is aiming for a fourth straight win via two horses from her stable.
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Lesley Jeffriess prepares Lonely Orphan and she celebrated wins with Call Me Brad at Quirindi two weeks ago and then again on Friday at Muswellbrook, when Call Me Brad won brilliantly, with Lonely Orphan’s Grafton win sandwiched in between.
Lesley was hoping Lonely Orphan’s race was to be at Tamworth on Tuesday but the Tamworth track hasn’t recovered from a renovation and the meeting has been moved to Scone.
Now a 2200m race, it won’t worry the six-year-old daughter of Domesday, who broke through the $100,000 prizemoney barrier at Grafton with her sixth career win.
She was one of 12 nominations for Tuesday’s 2200m Xmas Party Race Day December 14 Benchmark 74 Handicap. And in a field of eight, she will jump from barrier six.
Leah Kilner will claim 1.5kg off her 57kg.
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Lonely Orphan could have easily been racing at Warnambool on Sunday too.
Winning the Grafton race guaranteed her entry into the $300,000 Jericho Cup (4700m) at Warnambool.
“I thought it was a Cup race somewhere over on the coast,” she admitted on Friday after Call Me Brad’s win at Muswellbrook.
“If it was a week later I would have given it serious consideration but it was just too soon for us, and to go all the way down there.
“She had 64kg down there as well and they were running it on the jumps track too. It was fairly enticing though. Hopefully we’ll be right next year.”
Lonely Orphan has always shown plenty of ability and raced in a number of major Cups as well as the Vinery Stakes Group race in Sydney as a young horse.
Her Grafton win, over 3120m, was impressive and came after a good effort at Armidale.
It has been a good couple of weeks for Jeffriess – three runners for three wins has her hopeful Lonely Orphan can keep the streak going on Tuesday after Call Me Brad excelled on Friday for his large syndicate.
“They’re pretty happy,” Lesley said of the syndicate.
“There’s about 17 or 18 of them. The majority of them are miners from down here (in the Hunter Valley). He did win well though and a good ride (Wendy Peel).”
It was Call Me Brad’s fifth win in 33 starts.
