Miss Rose De Lago chasing G1 milestone

The C F Orr Stakes features nine individual Group One winners and another three trying to break through at the elite level.

Miss Rose De Lago is in the latter category but the Danny O’Brien-trained mare is a weight-for-age winner at Group Two level over the course and distance and has an affinity for Caulfield.

Damien Oliver was aboard when Miss Rose De Lago won the P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield first-up last campaign and continues his association with the mare on Saturday.

Oliver has won the Orr Stakes twice, most recently with El Segundo in 2007, and admits this year’s race will not be easy.

“She hasn’t won a Group One race yet but she has run really well over the course and distance,” Oliver said.

“She won the Group Two Liston (P B Lawrence) over the same course and distance in the spring and I think Danny has sort of earmarked this race as the best opportunity to try to win a Group One.

“It’s not going to be easy for her though. There’s a lot of depth in the race.”

Dual Group One-winning sprinter Malaguerra is the $3.80 favourite ahead of multiple Group One winner Black Heart Bart ($4) who is one of three chances for Victoria’s premier trainer Darren Weir.

Miss Rose De Lago, one of the outsiders at $26, has four wins from six starts at Caulfield.

Her preparation for the Orr has included a jump-out at Flemington and barrier trial at Geelong.

“She trialled really well at Flemington in her first trial and then her second one was on a wet track at Geelong and probably wasn’t as good as we hoped,” Oliver said.

“But I’m forgiving her for that bad ground there.”