Orr Stakes runs please trainers

By Robert Windmill

MELBOURNE, Feb 14 AAP - Trainers Mick Price and Mark Kavanagh were thrilled with the respective first-up runs of Heart Of Dreams and Shocking heading towards next month's Australian Cup.

Price said that Heart Of Dreams was in the best shape of his career after he came up a stride short of beating Typhoon Tracy in Saturday's Group One C F Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

"It was a bob of the head and in one more stride he pinches the race," Price said.

"He's come back great and actually looks the best he's ever looked.

"He had a good spell and matured up and he gives us a bit of confidence to have another try at the Australian Cup."

Heart Of Dreams also ran second last year's Orr Stakes and has been winless since beating Whobegotyou in the Group One Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield in September 2009.

Melbourne Cup winner Shocking didn't get as close as Heart Of Dreams to winning the Orr over an unsuitable distance but Kavanagh was pleased with how well he finished off, albeit in 11th place and 7-1/2 lengths from the winner.

"That was that probably his best ever first-up run," Kavanagh said.

"He got home well and his sectionals were good suggesting he is on the road now to 1800m and 2000m."

Last year's Australian Cup winner Zipping finished just in front of Shocking in 10th place while Bart Cummings-trained stablemates Faint Perfume and Precedence will improve on their 13th and 14th places respectively.

Heart Of Dreams and Shocking will clash again in the Group Two St George Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on February 26 before the Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 12.

Heart Of Dreams finished fourth in last year's Australian Cup.