Big Orange Causes Big Upset at Headquarters

Thursday, Newmarket, Britain

PRINCESS OF WALES’S ARQANA RACING CLUB S.-G2, £100,000, NEW, 7-9, 3yo/up, 12fT, 2:29.00, g/f.

1–@BIG ORANGE (GB), 128, g, 4, by Duke of Marmalade (Ire)

1st Dam: Miss Brown To You (Ire), by Fasliyev

2nd Dam: Almaaseh (Ire), by Dancing Brave

3rd Dam: Al Bahathri, by Blushing Groom (Fr)

O-W. J. and T. C. O. Gredley; B-Stetchworth & Middle Park Studs (GB); T-Michael L. W. Bell; J-James Peter Spencer. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 11-4-1-0, $191,035. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.

2–Second Step (Ire), 131, g, 4, Dalakhani (Ire)–My Dark Rosaleen (GB), by Sadler’s Wells. O/-Merry Fox Stud Limited (IRE); T-Luca M. Cumani. £21,500.

3–Gospel Choir (GB), 128, g, 6, Galileo (Ire)–Chorist (GB), by Pivotal (GB). O/B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael R. Stoute. £10,760.

Margins: HF, HD, 2. Odds: 25.00, 4.00, 3.30.

Also Ran: Ayrad (Ire), Hillstar (GB), Mahsoob (GB), Niceofyoutotellme (GB), Sheikhzayedroad (GB). Click for the Racing Post result, the brisnet.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
Big Orange (GB) (Duke of Marmalade {Ire}), a dual stakes winner last year, was unconsidered at 25-1 for Thursday’s G2 Princess of Wales’s S. at Newmarket, but belied those odds with a game all-the-way win in the day’s feature. The 4-year-old, who was a last-out seventh in the May 30 Listed Grand Cup at York, dictated matters from the outset and stayed on resolutely under a drive when strongly pressed on all sides inside the final three furlongs to prevail by a half length from Second Step (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}). Gospel Choir (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) finished a head further back in third. “We went an even gallop, I stepped it up with five [furlongs] to go and he kept stretching and stretching,” explained rider Jamie Spencer. “[Trainer] Michael [Bell] was very happy with him beforehand and he knuckled down and did it well in the last furlong.”