Globetrotting mare Ortensia has died at the age of 10 after developing a tumour in a lung.
Originally trained by Tony Noonan, the daughter of Testa Rossa was scheduled to be retired without a Group 1 win after she was stripped of the Group 1 The Galaxy at Randwick after testing positive to ractopamine and the race was awarded to Shellscrape.
When letting down at Scone with a view to starting a career at stud, owners Alistair Fraser and Emma Ridley decided to let Ortensia have another season on the track, this time with the Scone-based trainer Paul Messara. (photo Mark Smith)
At her first start for Messara, Ortensia captured the Listed Munn Stakes at Flemington then ventured west for the Winterbottom Stakes, which had just been upgraded to Group 1 status.
Ortensia had won the same race two tears previously when it was a Group II.
She duly landed the prize before embarking on an overseas jaunt that saw her success in the success in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai and the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes in England.
The final start for Ortensia came in May 2013 in the race that carried her name, the Ortensia Stakes at Scone.
Unfortunately, there was no fairytale ending as she was unplaced behind Satin Shoes.
Bred by Len Rhodes, Ortensia was a $50,000 purchase by Steve Brem from the Riverside Stud draft at the 2007 Inglis Premier Yearling sale. She retired with a record of 13 wins, 3 seconds and 4 thirds with earnings of $2,480,101. Ten of her 13 wins came in stakes races.
Her first date was, fittingly, with another international trailblazer Choisir, with whom she had a filly.
Another filly came along the following season by 5-time Group 1 winner Dream Ahead (USA).
She had been covered by the champion Redoute's Choice last spring.
