Ortensia was a terrific sprinter, and a fantastic mare. Ortensia was a bay mare bred in New South Wales by L. D. Rhodes. She is one of many successful sprinters and milers sired by Testa Rossa who won six Group One races in 1999 and 2000. Her dam was Aerate's Pick from Picknicker. In the space of nine months, starting with the 2011 Winterbottom Stakes, Ortensia was able to secure a treble of Group 1 wins across three different continents, putting her in the rarest of company as an elite racehorse. Starting out life with trainer Tony Noonan, Ortensia displayed tons of ability as a two-year-old, winning her first two starts by a combined nine lengths. As her career progressed she won stakes races in three states, before signalling her immense potential when running a huge close up third in the 2009 Stradbroke Handicap, her first attempt at Group One level. Her breakthrough victory came in the Winterbottom Stakes of that year (then a Group Two race). She certainly did it the hard-way, backing up from a sixth in the 1600m Railway to drop back to the 1200m just a week later – the Railway hadn’t blunted her sprint whatsoever. Ortensia returned the following autumn to brain them first-up in the Gr.1 Galaxy at Rosehill. That wasn’t the only thing she returned however, with a positive swab seeing her sensationally stripped of the win.

After a year had passed and she was performing below her peak, and it appeared that her racing career had reached a critical juncture. It was widely anticipated that she would transition to a breeding career once her five-year-old season concluded. The circumstances surrounding the unfortunate loss of the Group One victory through disqualification adversely affected the ownership group. Consequently, a decision was made to provide Ortensia with an additional opportunity to demonstrate her capabilities as a racehorse. Ortensia's talent was showcased both domestically and internationally during her subsequent campaigns under the guidance of trainer, Paul Messara. If Messara had not been impressed, Ortensia would simply be sent to the breeding barn. However, the trainer felt that she was re-energized by the environment in the Hunter Valley. A Listed sprint down the Flemington straight on G1 VRC Oaks Day was picked out where she confirmed Messara's suspicions she very much still wanted to be a racehorse. It was a historic victory in the fact it was Darren Beadman's final winning ride in Australia. Craig Williams demonstrated exceptional horsemanship in the Gr.1 Winterbottom Stakes by skillfully positioning Ortensia just in behind the leading pack. His precise timing in guiding her into the race proved instrumental in securing her maiden Group one victory with an impressive performance in Perth.

The Al Quoz Sprint, held on Dubai World Cup night, provided Messara with what he still says was a career highlight as a trainer. The likelihood of achieving success in a Group One race in Dubai with a single horse is minimal. However, Ortensia's triumph that evening was the result of meticulous planning and execution, culminating in a decisive victory. Suddenly, the world was at Ortensia's feet and a trip to England for the Northern Hemisphere summer came on the radar. Her English campaign began at Royal Ascot, where racing's two unbeaten superstars in Frankel (GB) and fellow Aussie mare Black Caviar were the headline acts.

Frankel had just completed an 11L destruction of his rivals in the Gr.1 Queen Anne Stakes when Ortensia went out as joint favourite for the Gr.1 King's Stand Stakes, but the moment would prove too much for her, and she would finish ninth, beaten nearly 7L. Messara somewhat surprised the locals by opting to take Ortensia to contest the Gr.2 King George Stakes, at Goodwood ahead of the Nunthorpe. Ortensia's chances of victory on a heavy track looked forlorn after she shied at the start of the five furlong race having been hit in the face by a discarded blindfold from another runner, but jockey, William Buick stuck to the plan. He took his time and the main thing is that he trusted her. He let her get her feet and eventually made it to the inside the last 400 and she was too good in the finish. It was to prove her final racetrack success, but she had already written her own history. At the time she was one of the only horses who had won Group ones on three continents in the space of 12 months. Her overseas exploits in particular often get overlooked in favour of other Australian globetrotters.

Ortensia sadly died after developing a tumour in 2016, but her legacy lives on through her daughters Artefiori (Choisir) and Infiorata (Dream Ahead USA). Artefiori won one of her 13 starts for Messara while Infiorata never raced. Both mares had their first foals at Arrowfield Stud, with Artefiori having a filly by Dundeel (NZ) and Infiorata a filly by Maurice (Jpn).

Ortensia's granddaughter, Genzano, wearing Ortensia's head collar delivered Ortensia's former strapper Leah Gavranich her first stakes win as a trainer in the Spring Stakes at Newcastle. The modern-day version of Tommy Woodcock and Phar Lap, Gavranich was both inseparable and instrumental in the epic deeds of globetrotting iron horse Ortensia who won stakes races in four states and two hemispheres.

RACE RECORD - 38: 13–3–4

EARNINGS - A$1,423,867

US$600,000

UK£222,712

HK$490,000

Thousand Guineas Prelude (2008)

P J Bell Stakes (2009)

Glenlogan Park Stakes (2009)

QTC Cup (2009)

Winterbottom Stakes (2009, 2011)

G H Mumm Stakes (2011)

Al Quoz Sprint (2012)

King George Stakes (2012)

Nunthorpe Stakes (2012)