Bunbury Stakes the next target for flying Red Ora

Red Ora will press on to the $120,000 Bunbury Stakes (1400m) on March 21 after a fast-finishing second to Battle Hero in Sunday’s listed $120,000 Chaff City Pinjarra Classic (1300m) at his third start for the Steve Wolfe stable.

After being transferred to Wolfe here in Albany, Red Ora was a brilliant winner of the Mungrup Stud Sprint in January before running fourth in the Listed Scenic Blast Stakes earlier this month.

In the small field of eight runners at Pinjarra, jockey, Shaun McGruddy settled Red Ora at the tail before he charged from eighth on the turn to almost pinch victory in the shadows of the post.

Battle Hero clung on over the six-year-old gelding by a neck with Roger The Roman also making up a stack of ground to be third a further long neck away.

Wolfe said the Bunbury Stakes was now the prime target for his talented sprinter.

“He will go straight to the Bunbury Stakes,” Wolfe said.

“He made up a stack of ground and was powering home.

“He is flying at the moment; I couldn’t be happier with him.”

Impressive youngster One Short improved his second-up record on Sunday, flying down the 1000m straight to win the Chaff City Wheaten & Oaten Chaff Handicap by 1¼ lengths.

Handled by McGruddy, One Short exploded down the middle to make it two wins now from three second-up attempts.

Two-year-old One Point Lady ran third for Wolfe over 1000m at Ascot on Saturday while My Greek Boy was nailed late to finish second over 1400m.

Minus Looks, who failed to get a run in the recent Fitzpatrick Plate, finished fourth in the AGCI Handicap (1200m) at Ascot, hitting the line almost locked together with fellow local Run Liam Run, who was fifth while Secret Minx was eighth home.