Breeders' Cup International Scouting Report: Order of Australia

A half-brother to last year’s Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf star Iridessa, and exciting juvenile filly Santa Barbara, Order of Australia lacks their appeal. But the Ballydoyle sophomore was highly tried earlier in the year, and connections are willing to experiment with a cutback in trip in the Mile. Presumably his cross-entry in Friday’s 1 1/8-mile Bryan Station is his more realistic target versus fellow sophomores.

Bred by Aidan and Anne Marie O’Brien’s Whisperview Trading, the son of past Ballydoyle star Australia is out of the Danehill mare Senta’s Dream. His second dam, millionaire Starine, landed the 2002 Filly & Mare Turf at Arlington.

Order of Australia raced once as a juvenile last November, in a heavy-ground slugfest over a mile at Naas. The 16-1 chance stalked early, lost position, then found more in a grinding sixth. His victorious stablemate, Nobel Prize, was the eventual winner of this summer’s Ballysax (G3) transferred to Dundalk.

Blinkered for his June 9 reappearance at 1 1/4 miles, Order of Australia was third in a key Leopardstown maiden. He hustled to attend the pace, began to fight off Amhran Na Bhfiann in the stretch, only to be swamped by Tiger Moth and Dawn Patrol. Amhran Na Bhfiann would place third in the Derby (G1) at 66-1 next out.

The top three from that maiden all returned to finish second, third, and fourth to Santiago in the Irish Derby (G1), in the same order, if not by the same margin. Irish Derby near-misser Tiger Moth was well clear of the rest, and he just came close again in Monday night’s Melbourne Cup (G1).

Order of Australia, who stalked early before winding up fourth in the Irish Derby, cut back in trip for the next weekend’s French Derby (G1). Still a maiden, the 30-1 shot led early and surprisingly stayed in the thick of contention until deep stretch, when outfinished in seventh.

His sights lowered for a Dundalk race Sept. 18, Order of Australia scraped home as the odds-on favorite. He made an early move to keep the pacesetter honest, but had to be driven out to prevail in the about 10 1/2-furlong affair. Order of Australia made it a quick double in another low-key event at the Curragh, stalking and pouncing in more decisive fashion going 1 1/2 miles.

Trying Group company again in the 1 1/4-mile International (G3) last out, Order of Australia argued the pace on soft but came up empty turning into the Curragh stretch. He was allowed to come home in his own time in a long-way last of nine. Front-running Monument Valley also retreated to a remote seventh, and the race set up for deep closer Helvic Dream.

Order of Australia appears to need encouragement to get involved in the fray, and if he’s responded versus lesser, he hasn’t been seeing out his longer races at a higher level. A drop back to a fast-paced mile could help him in principle, if not necessarily in a race the caliber of the Mile.