Orpen Rimout, with the class and versatility to adapt to any race shape, looks poised to deliver the Seeking success

This time ridden with patience just off the pace, the daughter of Orpen prevailed by a nose over Lessons of Life in the Clásico Omnium (L)

Orpen Rimout (left) nailed Lessons of Life right on the wire / HSI

Good horses possess certain qualities, and one of the most important is the ability to adapt to the ebb and flow of a race. “Dying with your own run” may serve as a manual for some, but more often than not that approach ends in failure—either because circumstances demand something different, or because there is simply no Plan B to fall back on.

That is precisely where Orpen Rimout (59.5kg) made her statement in Sunday’s Omnium Stakes (L, 1400m, turf, diagonal), the feature of the day at San Isidro. Mature and versatile, she showed that she can alter her running style without changing the outcome: winning.

On paper, the presence of several confirmed front-runners suggested a faster-than-ideal tempo, raising the possibility of a late collapse among the leaders. In the event, Verenna (Cosmic Trigger) was the only one to stick firmly to the original script, taking them along with Lessons of Life (Le Blues, 54) applying steady pressure throughout.

This time, Orpen Rimout was content to switch off, racing comfortably toward the rear of the compact field. The early leaders paid the price in the stretch: Verenna weakened late, as did Elvitas (Cosmic Trigger, 60), whose attempt to sit off the pace also failed, finishing sixth and second-last.

Orpen Rimout, meanwhile, was just waking up. Asked from the 300-meter mark, she quickened decisively and, in the final stride, reeled in Lessons of Life—who had struck the front moments earlier—to prevail by a nose. A claim was lodged by Iván Monasterolo, rider of the runner-up, against Adrián Giannetti, but the stewards rightly dismissed it. Head-on and rear-angle replays clearly showed that it was Lessons of Life who drifted inward, not the winner.

For the Stud Los Apóstoles homebred, raised at Haras Firmamento and trained by Carlos D. Etchechoury, this marked the sixth win from just 13 starts and her second success at stakes level—confirmation that class, when paired with adaptability, goes a very long way.