Ciaron Maher will chase a hat-trick in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes at Sandown on Saturday, with defending champion Jimmysstar heading three stable entries in a 13-horse nomination list for Victoria’s last Group 1 of the year.
The $1 million weight-for-age sprint over 1400m returns to Sandown Hillside on Saturday 14 November, and Maher has nominated Jimmysstar, Another Wil and Warnie, according to the nominations.
Maher won the first Orr Stakes run as Victoria’s final Group 1 of the year with Jimmysstar last spring, after stablemate Another Wil had won the previous edition when it was still Australia’s first feature of the year in early 2025.
Jimmysstar finished seventh as the $3.80 favourite in the Russell Balding Stakes at his latest run, but Maher believes the gelding who won the Group 1 Manikato Stakes on 27 September is in as good form as he was 12 months ago.
“I think he’s going equally as good,” Maher said, as reported by Racing and Sports.
“He’s probably going better than his prep in between and I think he’s probably going as good as last spring. With a horse like him, you just need things to go your way.”
Read more: Jimmysstar Wins Manikato Stakes – Everest Next for Maher
Who Jimmysstar has to beat
Chris Waller has nominated Angel Capital, runner-up to Jimmysstar in last year’s Orr Stakes, along with Beiwacht. Bjorn Baker’s Pericles, Grahame Begg’s Tatt’s Tiara winner Splash Back and the Hayes stable’s Stradbroke Handicap winner War Machine are also among the entries.
The full list also includes Desert Lightning (Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman), Sepals (Cliff Brown), Shadhavar (Tom Dabernig), Steparty (Paul Preusker) and Zou Sensation (Leon and Troy Corstens and Will Larkin).
Read more: Ciaron Maher Makes History With First Melbourne Cup Trifecta
Racing.com listed 10 likely runners for the race, without Desert Lightning, Sepals or Warnie.
A rare Orr Stakes treble on the line
Only four horses have won the Orr Stakes more than once. Manikato (1979-81) and Vo Rogue (1988-90) both completed hat-tricks when the race was run at Sandown, while Lord (1959-60) and Typhoon Tracy (2010-11) are the dual winners.
Jimmysstar has won three of his four Group 1s at Caulfield, the race’s modern home, but Maher is happy to see him tackle Sandown’s long Hillside straight.
“The bigger the track the better for him. I think Sandown won’t be any excuse,” Maher said.
A win would give Maher his 71st Group 1 and his seventh of a spring carnival that has already brought The Everest with Tempted and a Melbourne Cup trifecta headed by Point Of Law. His other Group 1 wins this spring came with The Next Episode in the Coolmore Stud Stakes, Saintly Dancer in the Thousand Guineas and Land Legend in The Might And Power.
The undercard at Sandown on Saturday also includes the Group 2 Zipping Classic and the Group 2 Sandown Guineas.
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