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By Graeme White

There are so many facets to the thoroughbred industry for Neil and Denise Osborne it’s hard for them to split which one they prefer the most.

The end result comes when one of their progeny races and wins; it’s a process years in the making so when a horse can deliver and start to show potential it makes all the effort worthwhile.

Canberra-based trainer Neil Osborne. Image by Bradley Photographers

One such horse is Off To War ($2.30 into $2.15 favourite on TAB) – a winner of two of her four starts with a further two seconds to her name.

The Osborne’s are so invested in thoroughbreds that a day at the races is a time when they can take their foot off the pedal for a few hours and do what they love.

“It’s full on at this time of the year with mares foaling, yearlings coming in for some education, mares being taken off to stud and then there are ten racehorses as well,” Neil Osborne said.

“Most of the foals so far are our own, but there are always about 100 horses here at the stud that are at various stages of their careers or for breeding.”

Osborne breeds many mares of his own each year and said Off To War is one horse which hasn’t cost him a fortune and has shown a quick return on her cost.

The four-year-old hasn’t started since running second to Affinity Beyond at Wagga in November last year.

She showed she was ready to return with a solid second behind metropolitan winner Plague Stone in a Goulburn barrier trial.

“She has been off for longer than I expected after she had a setback which needed a minor operation,” Osborne said.

“She will be very hard to beat on what she has done and how she trialled.”

Osborne has solid evidence to support his opinion as finishing well behind Off To War – albeit in the Goulburn trial when not all horses are fully extended – was Private Agent and Ahead Start which were placed in a Randwick Highway on Saturday.

Off To War was also kept within herself in the trial and the 1000 metres of the Allurecrete Flooring Class 2 appears an ideal starting point.

Topweight Emeriz ($3) is also first-up off a spell and has a similar record to Off To War with two wins, a second and a fourth from four starts for trainer Brett Thompson. Emeriz was scratched from the Randwick Highway on Saturday in preference for an easier option at Orange.

Jockey Chad Lever will start from the outside barrier on Off To War and Osborne envisages her racing in the first two.

“She won her debut at Albury and should either lead or take a sit just off the speed – she is a speed horse so you have to let her run,” Osborne said. “Her dam (One Off) is the fastest horse I have trained and this one is the best of her progeny.

“I think she is up to better races, but with fast horses you just hope they can retain their speed after a setback. She had a strong first preparation and was then sent for a spell before she had a setback which meant she hasn’t raced for a fair while.”

Osborne hopes Off To War can measure up to be part of his annual trip to the north of New South Wales each winter.

For several weeks he campaigns his horses at feature carnivals such as Grafton and Coffs Harbour and has been home attending to his new group of hopefuls for some time. He had a few winners and the team more than paid their way.

Off To War’s preparation meant she wasn’t part of the team this year, but Osborne hopes next year she can be a contender for The Kirby at Grafton: “She is a fast horse with a great attitude and The Kirby is the race I would like to win with her,” he said.

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Orange here