Buick concerns add to notion that Ortensia is too short for Sprint Cup
Published:Ortensia already looks a shade short in the betting at 5/2 for the Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock and this price will seemingly be even worse value should William Buick not take the ride.
Buick has struck the right note with the horse with successive wins in the King George Stakes and the Nunthorpe and this partnership will be valuable again at Haydock.
However, with Nathaniel running at Leopardstown just over two hours after the Sprint Cup, it may not be logistically possible for Buick to ride both.
Given the retainer he has with John Gosden, Nathaniel would take first priority in the Irish Champion Stakes, leaving Ortensia’s connections to seek an alternative jockey booking.
A few names are in the pipeline to pick up a dream spare ride, but Ortensia is not the most straight-forward to get the best from and so a prior understanding could be critical.
Even if Buick does stay on board, the price for Ortensia is hard to justify.
The Sprint Cup is over 6f, with Ortensia’s better recent form being over the shorter 5f, while the expected firmer ground will suit some chief rivals who were inconvenienced on the softer surface in the Nunthorpe.
Bated Breath is the obvious example, who was also negatively impacted by the draw when finding himself on the wrong side of the track at York.
The forecast for the remainder of the week is not anticipating much if any rain and so Bated Breath may offer the better bet at the prices at present at 4/1.
Strong Suit is another for whom the expected conditions will appeal and is perhaps worthy of some each-way interest at a potentially generous looking 10/1.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
