The highly-regarded Orthodox returned to form last weekend when landing the Group 1 Middle Park Stakes, but Clive Cox is yet to decide whether his star two-year-old will be seen again this season.
The Havana Grey colt won his first two starts of the season, including a strong display in the Norfolk Stakes. He was disappointing in the Prix Morny thereafter, failing to cope with the soft ground.
Orthodox bounced back to form, hitting the line strongly in the Middle Park, replicating connections success with Supremacy in 2020. The Breeders’ Cup was previously mentioned, but Cox could put him away ahead of an already mapped out three-year-old campaign.
Clive Cox told the Press Association, via At The Races: “We were thrilled with him and he has come back very well from Saturday’s Middle Park. But we are still just mulling it over to whether we run again or not.
“I think it’s potentially more likely that after winning his Group One and finishing the season on a high our thoughts are more in line about next year. Nothing has been decided completely and we will probably give him another week or 10 days before we do.”
Orthodox to be kept to sprinting trips next season
Many winners of the Middle Park have gone on to contest the 2000 Guineas the following season. However, like Supremacy, Cox is keen to keep his colt to sprinting trips with no mention of the mile distance.
Cox continued, stating: “Whatever is decided I could not be more pleased with how he has progressed. He stays the six furlongs and as would be the normal case for a horse of that profile next season it would be a prep race or two. The Pavilion, Sandy Lane and Commonwealth Cup, that would be the direction we are thinking.”
By Havana Grey out of a Showcasing mare, it’s no surprise connections haven’t strongly considered the mile trip. Cox also trained the mare Heartwarming, whose sole success came over five furlongs. She’s a half-sister to Heartache, a dual Group 2 winner over five furlongs for Clive Cox.
There is stamina in the distant pedigree, but predominantly, the dam-line has a proven record of successful sprinters. There is the slight caveat of the strength of the Middle Park form. Outsiders Force Noir and Hell Of A Spin followed him home, with strong favourite Inner City Blues underperforming.
Regardless, Orthodox is three from four and is bred to improve as a three year old, thus connections can look forward to their colt throughout the winter months.