VRC St Leger winner Order Of The Sun will now take aim at next month’s Group 1 SA Derby. Chad Schofield believes the Gai Waterhouse-trained stayer will have no trouble dropping back in distance and rising in class in Saturday week’s $500,000 SA Derby at Morphettville.
While the VRC St Leger wasn’t the strongest of renewals, Schofield said Order Of The Sun was dominant posting a seven length win.
Schofield said the main question mark against all the horses in the St Leger was would they run out the 2800 metres.
“He obviously did and I think he does have enough brilliance to match it with the stronger three-year-olds,” Schofield said.
“On the feel he gave me today he will be very hard to beat.”
Schofield will not be able to ride Order Of The Sun in the SA Derby as he begins an 18-day suspension after tomorrow’s Randwick meeting.
He said Order Of The Sun raced without blinkers today and predicted if they were re-applied the horse may find even a few more lengths.
Order Of The Sun, $4.40, demolished his rivals, winning by seven lengths from **H*Honey Steel’s Gold**, the $3.10 favorite, with three lengths to Throw The King, $10, third.
Schofield said this son of Encosta De Lago was always travelling “sweetly” for him.
“He bowled along and travelled strongly in my hands for me. He never dropped the bridle at any stage, he was tough and strong and fit and he ran his rivals into the ground,” Schofield said.
Order Of The Sun gave Waterhouse her second successive VRC St Leger after winning last year’s renewal withHippopus.
Her latest success came 56 years after her late, great father Tommy Smith won the race with Hall Of Fame horse Tulloch.
Smith won six St Legers, one less than Bart Cummings.