The silks aren’t quite the same as those carried overseas but Orujo managed to become Godolphin’s first Melbourne winner since establishing a permanent presence in Australia.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum decided Godolphin’s royal blue silks would replace his maroon and white Darley colours on horses from retained trainer John O’Shea’s stable from August 1.
Many of Godolphin’s greatest wins overseas feature jockeys wearing colours cajoling all to “Fly Emirates”, the airline Sheikh Mohammed founded in the 1980s, but Australian racing bodies rejected the organisation’s request to have the branding on the operation’s local silks.
“We did ask that question about three months ago and the rules are as such that you cannot (advertise on colours) so we didn’t push that,” Godolphin’s racing manager Jason Walsh said.
“We are very thankful that we have been allowed to have the royal blue colours down here.”
Walsh said the stable has not completed the rebranding of stables and staff that started when Godolphin announced it would replace Darley in Australian racing last month.
However, Walsh said little has changed in the preparation of the vast string of O’Shea-trained horses, which led to Orujo’s success in Wednesday’s Lister Handicap (1000m) at Sandown.
“Much of the structures and systems stay the same so while we look like Godolphin, the team is very supportive of John and it was a great result there today,” Walsh said.
Orujo, the $3.20 favourite, carried 4kg more than weight-for-age but still proved too strong for his older opposition, defeating Trevinder ($6.50) and Awasita ($6.50) by a length.
Walsh said Orujo’s win was a step towards the colt’s stakes targets in the coming week, including the Listed Mitchell McKenzie Stakes at Moonee Valley on August 23.
“For a homebred for Sheikh Mohammed to be the first winner for the Australian arm of the Godolphin operation is really exciting,” Walsh said.
“He was poorly treated under the weight scale so it was a really strong effort.
“He’s shown he’s a really nice Exceed And Excel colt with an exciting future.”
Orujo is not among the 12 Godolphin three-year-olds entered for the $1 million Caulfield Guineas on October 11.
