Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood will head into next week’s Champions Day at Ellerslie with a trio of leading chances, with all three pleasing in their final hit-outs at the Auckland track on Saturday.
Glamour mare Orchestral was strong late when finishing third in the Gr.1 Sport Nation Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) and will now step up to 2000m in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes.
The daughter of Savabeel was eye-catching when winning the Aotearoa Classic (1600m) last month, and her trainers felt another mile test was ideal when looking ahead to her autumn targets.
“She has bounced through it really well,” James said. “To be fair, we probably stacked it against her a wee bit going another mile, but we looked at the long-term and not the short-term.
“Her next two runs she will look well placed in – the Bonecrusher in two weeks and then most likely three weeks to the Tancred over a mile-and-a-half in Sydney worth A$1.5 million.”
Stablemate Dealt With continued his pleasing run of form when runner-up to Sethito in the Listed Trevor Corallie Eagle Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m).
The son of Ace High hasn’t put a foot wrong in his four career starts to date, winning his first two starts, which earned him a berth in next week’s $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) courtesy of slot holders Kerri Spence Bloodstock and Clotworthy Racing, before placing in the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) and Uncle Remus Stakes.
Saturday’s result bodes well for next week, with the field containing four NZB Kiwi contenders, and James has put his rivals on notice, saying there is improvement to come from his three-year-old.
“He is a big burly boy and he had done pretty well on us. Even his work on Thursday indicated that,” James said.
“He is not one that you can gallop in company, and he only does as much as he has to on his own. He pulled up that way a little bit too, that the run would bring him on. You can’t peak for them all, and if that is the one that we missed a little bit on true fitness, it is what the run was designed for.”
James will also be out to extend his great record in the $1.25 million Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) with Oceana Dream, who ran third in Saturday’s Gr.2 Eagle Technology Avondale Guineas (2100m).
“I was pleased with his run,” James said. “It was an 11 out of 10 ride from George (Rooke, jockey) to go forward as he did, first run over ground from a wide barrier and he found him a lovely position. He was just a bit late getting clear in the straight, but he ran home really well.”
Champions Day is building to be an exciting card of racing, and James is hoping his stable can figure prominently.
“It is going to be tough racing, but so it should be for the money that is up,” he said.