A longtime breeder, Len runs a small number of mares, including Ortensia's dam Aerate's Pick, on his Riverside stud, at Corowa, down river in NSW from Albury.

She is the third stakes winner he has bred from the immediate family, the others being Intelligent Star (nine wins, $509,550, three stakes, including Group 3 MRC Rubiton Stakes; second in the Group 1 VRC Salinger Stakes) and his half-sister Blaze the Turf (four wins included the Group 3 MRC Autumn Stakes).

Ortensia is a half-sister to Glogirl, a General Nediym filly who has won three races, including a maiden at Eagle Farm, and to a God's Own filly born in September.They are among four foals produced by Intelligent Star's unraced sister Aerate's Pick.

Ortensia's grandam Aerate fail to place in nine tries, but has had ten foals for eight runners and seven winners all bred by Rhodes. Six of her daughters, including Aerate's Pick and the Darley owned Encosta de Lago mares Clean (had 2009 filly by Exceed and Excel) and Soda Water, are active breeders.

Aerate's Pick is by Picnicker, a Snippets minor Melbourne and Adelaide stakes winner and Sandown Guineas second who stood at stud from 1994 to 2004, briefly at Riverside and then, by arrangement with Rhodes, in Victoria in order to reap the benefits of Vobis.

Riverside was also a home for Loosen Up, the sire of Ortensia's grandam and historically of a giant of Australian racing, Better Loosen Up.

Now winner of eight of 15 starts, headed by the Winterbottom, QTC Cup and MRC Tranquil Star Stakes, third in the QTC Stradboke and earner of $944,547, the Tony Noonan, Mornington trained Ortensia was purchased off the Riverside stud by Steve Brem for $50,000 at the Inglis Melbourne yearling sale.

Len Rhodes got the instrument that led to Ortensia when he acquired her third dam Rule the Turf, a 1979 New Zealand bred mare who was a minor winner in Melbourne. She managed only three foals and one winner, but had her stature embellished through the racing and breeding deeds of her three years younger half-sister Eau D'Etoile.

A daughter of Sir Tristram, Eau d'Etoile, followed up a win in the Manawatu Eulogy Stakes, a second in the STC Phar Lap Stakes and third in the New Zealand Oaks and Queensland Oaks by producing three Group1 winners, Filante, Bint Marscay and Kenny's Best Pal. Golden Slipper winner Bint Marscay is the dam of Bollinger (won the STC Coolmore Classic) and grandam of Benicio (won the Victoria Derby).

Benicio stands alongside Testa Rossa at the Vinery Stud. It is a stud that Testa Rossa, a son of Perugino, a three-quarter brother by Danzig to Sadler's Wells and Fairy King, transferred to from the Yallambee stud in Victoria in 2006. All of Testa Rossa's progeny, except his current 2-year-olds, were sired at Yallambee and have included 272 winners (70.8% of his runners) of 725 races and $23.9million.

He was 12th on the Australian sires list for 2007-08 with 88 winners (5 SWs) of 129 races and $3,671,278 and moved up to eighth place for 2008-09 with 96 winners (5 SWs) of 178 races and $5,447,381.

Used over books at Vinery of 158 in 2006, 145 in 2007 and 135 in 2008, the13-years-old Testa Rossa is expected to have even better results in the future, benefiting from the upgrading of the quality of his mares.

He has 34 lots in the catalogue for next month's Magic Millions yearling sale at the Gold Coast, including contributions from Vinery, Baramul, Strawberry Hill and Stratheden.

It is a catalogue that also includes a dozen by his very close relation Stromberg Carlson, a promising Redoute's Choice sire at Basil Nolan's Raheen stud in Queensland's Warwick district.They are both from the Danzig male line and from the same Sir Dapper mare, Bo Dapper.

Stromberg Carlson retired to stud in 2005 with an initial book of mares of 129, followed with 116 in 2006 (95.5% fertility), 84 in 2007 (restricted because of EI; 93.7%) and 148 in 2008. His oldest are 3-year-olds.