A Group III winner in 2017 and in 2019, the rising eight-year-old gelding Order Again kept his two-year stakes-spacing intact when opening his stakes account for Chris Waller in Saturday’s Listed Winter Challenge at Rosehill.
Winner of the Group III Grand Prix Stakes at Eagle Farm and the group III Lord Mayor’s Cup on the same track when trained by Brian Smith, the son of Iffraaj (GB), was aided by a perfectly timed ride by Hugh Bowman.
Given a patient ride, Order Again had the last shot at them to defeat Ziegfeld (New Approach) by a long-head, with the winner’s stablemate Sambro (Fastnet Rock) a length back in third.
“He has been very consistent without a lot going his way,” Waller said.
“It was a well-timed run, and in typical Hugh Bowman style, he just got there in time.
“As long as the track remained soft, I was happy. He has had a bit of a freshen-up at Tim Boland’s Farm. Normally we have to space his races, but this time it was only fourteen days. He spent three or four days at Tim’s farm, which was just enough to keep him happy and healthy, and I think that is the key to winning a race this time of year.”
With his third stakes success, Order Again advances his record to eight wins, five seconds and five thirds from 37 starts with earnings of $640,275.
A homebred for the brothers Chas and Cam Stewart, Order Again is the best of three winners from six to race out of the Van Nistelrooy mare Glass Half Full.
A half-sister to the Group II Brisbane Cup winner Jestset Lad (Elusive City), Glass Half Full has a yearling colt by Sacred Falls and a weanling colt by Ocean Park. She was covered by Ocean Park again last spring.
