Orcadian set for Simon bid
Orcadian is set to return from a summer break at Newbury on Saturday in a bid to win the Stan James St Simon Stakes for a second time.
Trainer James Eustace has deliberately kept the Jeff Smith-owned five-year-old off the track since May to wait for softer ground and has been mapping out an end-of-year campaign.
“He’s a soft ground horse so we gave him a summer break,” said the Newmarket handler.
“He ran over hurdles last winter and then ran on the Flat, so we gave him time off.”
Orcadian captured the Newbury Group Three contest over a mile and a half by 15 lengths on heavy ground two years ago and Eustace hopes conditions will again be testing.
“He seems in good form and the more rain they get at Newbury the better. I’m been very happy with his work and he seems in good form,” Eustace went on.
“He’ll run in the St Simon, then there’s a Listed race at Windsor, transferred from Doncaster, at the end of the turf season early next month.
“That rather suits as he won a mile and a half race at Windsor last year.
“There’s a couple of Listed races in France over a mile and a half in December and we might send him out there for those. They are out at the country tracks somewhere.”
Orcadian won one of his two starts over hurdles last season and may have another run over obstacles this term.
“I’d quite like to run him over hurdles once between Windsor and going to France as sadly there’s nothing suitable for him on the all-weather, but we’ve not made a specific plan,” he concluded.
