It might seem as if Mr Brightside has been around longer than the song for which he was named, but not so.

He debuted at Matamata on February 10, 2021, a mere 208 weeks ago. The Killers’ 2004 hit spent twice that long (a record 416 weeks) on the UK singles chart.

Regardless, the old fellow (in fact only seven) begins his ninth racing campaign this Saturday as the defending champion in the C.F. Orr Stakes.

He started a $1.95 favourite last year but only just got there, nosing out Pride Of Jenni ($9), who probably wasn’t getting the respect she deserved from the market at the time.

If Mr Brightside scores on Saturday, he will join elite company as a multiple Orr winner. That club’s only members are Lord (two wins), Manikato (three), Vo Rogue (three) and Typhoon Tracy (two).

He will also be the proud owner of nine Group 1 wins — one less than Octagonal.

The bookies are taking few chances with Mr Brightside again this year, although he will surely start in the black. Support is likely to come for the hungry Group 1 maidens Schwarz and Another Wil, and perhaps for the three-year-old Private Life.

While many have an asterisk against Private Life’s Caulfield Guineas win on a red-hot leaders’ track, there’s no denying the C.F. Orr has been a happy hunting ground for the classic generation.

In 100 runnings, three-year-olds have scored 21 wins. That’s positive given that not many tackle the race, with the softer Autumn Stakes (set weights and penalties for three-year-olds) on the same program over the same course.

A total of 12 youngsters have contested the Orr in the past 12 years for three wins (All Too Hard in 2013, Alabama Express in 2020, Jacquinot in 2023), a second and two thirds.