Black Caviar didn’t travel west for Ascot’s Super Saturday meeting but Perth still saw a top-class mare win the G1 Winterbottom Stakes.

Ortensia had captured the G2 Winterbottom two years ago before it was upgraded to Group 1 level for this year’s edition.  And if ever a mare deserved to win at the elite level, it’s Ortensia.

Ortensia (6m Testa Rossa – Aerate’s Pick by Picknicker) was stripped of a Group 1 by stewards earlier this year in a controversial postscript to the AJC The Galaxy.  

The bonny mare left nothing to chance at Ascot.  She was always placed behind front-runner Werd and, once in the clear, overhauled Darley sprinter Rarefied to win by a length.

Ortensia had won a half-dozen stakes races in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth before her second Winterbottom.  “It is just great to finally be part of her first Group 1 win,” jockey Craig Williams said.  “She deserved it because she had one and then lost it.

“I will go anywhere to ride her.  She’s awesome.”

Ortensia was a $50,000 buy at the 2007 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale for owners Alister Fraser and Emma Ridley.  She is one of 38 stakes winners by Vinery sire Testa Rossa.

Riverside Stud owner Len Rhodes has entered a Testa Rossa full brother to Ortensia for the 2012 Gold Coast Magic Millions.  He’s one of 35 Testa Rossa yearlings catalogued for the first round of the 2012 majors.