Jimmysstar is simply Orr-some in Caulfield galloping lesson
In an odd twist, leading trainer Maher claims his second Group 1 C.F. Orr in the same year
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Race favourite Jimmysstar (Ethan Brown) was ridden like the best horse in the small seven-horse field contesting the second 2025 running of the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1,400m) at Caulfield on Nov 15. The Ciaron Maher-trained favourite duly obliged. Evaporate (Jamie Melham, pictured) finished third.
PHOTO: RACING PHOTOS
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MELBOURNE Jimmysstar has cemented his status as the best sprinter-miler in the country, after he was successful in the A$1 million (S$849,000) Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1,400m) at Caulfield on Nov 15.
With the race moved from early February to the end of spring, this was the second running of the Orr Stakes in 2025, and top trainer Ciaron Maher has won them both.
Successful with Another Wil some nine months ago, his old sparring partner Jimmysstar continued his outstanding spring with a relatively fuss-free victory in the final Group 1 of the Melbourne Spring.
Jumping well under Ethan Brown, $7 favourite Jimmysstar drifted back in the field but held a key positional advantage over his immediate danger Angel Capital (Ben Melham) who settled last.
Chris Waller’s colt ran on well but never seriously threatened Jimmysstar, beaten a length into second, with a further length back to third favourite Evaporate (Jamie Melham) in third.
Maher said he was always confident in Jimmysstar being able to back up a heavy track win in the Russell Balding Stakes (1,300m) last start
“He’s a ripper,” said the five-time Melbourne champion trainer. “I was so confident over the last couple of weeks with him.
“I know he’d had a few runs in big races but we only keep him fresh enough to run at six (furlongs) and he was better at 6½ and I knew he’d be better today.
“Browny just rides him so well. He was in the driver’s seat most of the way. He’s got a great rapport with him and he’s a great fella.
“I can’t thank my team enough. He’s been to Sydney for a long time and he’s come down to Melbourne seamlessly.
“You can just see the confidence in the horse. He could have led the race and looked like it early.
“Ethan, over the past two years, you can see how much confidence (he had) and they are similar in how they’ve grown in confidence together.”
The win marked Maher’s 60th Group 1 winner having achieved exactly half of that number in conjunction with former training partner David Eustace, while Brown notched up his 10th Group 1 win and second aboard Jimmysstar, whom the jockey said is his ‘favourite horse’.
“He’s by far my favourite, he’s such a beauty,” said the Australian jockey.
“It is well publicised, my love for him and it is obvious why. He is the ultimate professional.
“He gives me such an amazing feeling and he’s such a good horse.”
On a day when Jimmysstar, who was at his third Group 1 win, was one of the rare favourites to triumph, the other feature race of the day, the A$400,000 Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1,600m), also bailed punters out with another odds-on fancy, Sheza Alibi (Luke Nolen), coming up trumps at the same short odds of $7.
The three-year-old filly by Saxon Warrior franked her winning form from the Group 3 Vanity Stakes (1,400m) at Flemington on Nov 1 to give an even more thumping display at Caulfield with a demolition of her eight rivals.
The 5¾-length win handed in-form trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman a first success in the set-weights three-year-old event. RACING AND SPORTS
