The first surprise came with how quickly the former French galloper had settled in and acclimatised and the second came with his desperately close second to Beyond Thankful over 1800 metres at Rosehill on August 15 in his first Australian start.
"I thought it would be too short for him but for a minute or two I thought he had won,” Thompson said. "I have had a few horses by Le Havre and they have been a bit soft but this horse is tough.
"The step up in distance and the good barrier makes him a big hope in the Cup.
"After that he will go to the Newcastle Cup, then the Metropolitan then he will be off to Melbourne for the Caulfield Cup while he has been nominated for the Melbourne Cup.”
Thompson has no doubt that Orbec will run the grueling 3200 metres of the Melbourne Cup but wonders if he is mature enough to handle a preparation geared towards Australia's greatest race.
"I know he is tough but while he is a five-year-old here he is only a four-year-old to European time,” Thompson said.
"I guess we will find out as we go along.”
Tye Angland has retained the ride on Orbec and the horse's fast finishing second behind Beyond Thankful has prompted Sportsbet to post him as the early $3 cup favourite ahead of John O'Shea's imported Havana Cooler at $3.20.
Havana Cooler was also having his first Australian start when sixth to Beyond Thankful in the same race, coming from near last on the turn to be beaten only half a length.
Beyond Thankful is Waller's sole runner. Sydney's premier trainer has won four of the last five Wyong Gold Cups including last year when Multilateral led home the stable's three runners.