First up from a spell after winning the Group I ATC Sydney Cup (3200m) during the autumn, versatile stayer Knight’s Order (IRE) relished the testing conditions at Randwick on Saturday to score a cavalier win in the Group II ATC Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at WFA.
Tuned up with a couple of recent trials, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Irish bred son of So You Think was ridden a heady race by Tim Clark and responded to the challenge.
He surged away up the straight to win by more than a length taking his overall record to nine wins from 27 starts with earnings over $1.9 million.
"Knights Order has stamped himself well and truly as a weight-for-age horse and only a good horse wins the Chelmsford,” said Gai Waterhouse.
"It was like a longer race being wet and they didn't take him on early so it gave him the chance to get into his rhythm. What a versatile horse.
"We have been thinking about Knights Order's preparation, but we have one race in mind for him and that's the Melbourne Cup. We will let the dust settle and decide which races he goes to next.”
Purchased for 250,000 guineas by from the 2018 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale by McKeever Bloodstock/ Gai Waterhouse Racing, Knights Order is a half-brother to Group II winner Dark Islander from good producer Lamanka Lass, who has left nine winners from 11 foals to race.
Knight’s Order is the first stakes-winner of the new season for So You Think, who stands at Coolmore a fee of $93,500 this spring.
