Orzare

Orzare looks like a useful recruit to hurdling for Gary Moore after the Montjeu gelding put up a nice performance to land the juvenile hurdle at Newbury on Tuesday. Settled in just behind the leader in the early stages by Philip Hide, he jumped well on the inside, and took it up at the last flight on the far side. Four horses pulled clear from the top of the home straight, but Orzare was always travelling best of all in front and, try as favourite Hunterview did, it never looked like he was going to go past.

This may not have been that weak a race, a race that was on two seasons ago be Celestial Halo. Runner-up Hunterview was a useful performer on the flat for Michael Jarvis, three wins earning him a rating of 90, and he was well backed here on his hurdling debut. Orzare was always holding him, and the pair of them pulled 10 lengths clear of the third-placed Rajamand, a useful Aga Khan-bred recruit to Emma Lavelle’s yard, with the trio pulling a distance clear of their rivals. Orzare never won on the flat in France for Jonathan Pease, and he must have been a quirky character, because he wore cheekpieces or blinkers on his last five starts. There was no sign of any quirkiness here, nor no blinkers either. He handled the heavy ground well, and he ran all the way to the line. He will be interesting wherever he goes next.

29th December 2009