By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
Solid Gold has had few favours this week, but trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood are pleased with the Waikato Stud filly ahead of her Australian debut in the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Solid Gold will contest the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
The Group Three-winning daughter of Savabeel undertook a marathon trip from her Cambridge base to Brisbane earlier this week, and on Wednesday she was met with the visitor’s draw of gate 17.
While disappointed in the draw, her trainers couldn’t be any happier with the way she has settled into her new surroundings at Eagle Farm, with next month’s Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) their primary objective.
“She has had a big week,” James said. “She left here on Monday night and it nearly took nine hours from stable to stable to get to Sydney. On Wednesday night it was nearly 13 hours stable to stable to get to Eagle Farm.
“Robert is over there with her and he said she has coped with everything very well and is bouncing and he is very happy with her.
“Having said that, she has drawn 17 and the track is going to be heavy, and it is the last race of the day, so she hasn’t got a lot of boxes ticked in that respect.
“It is going to make it hard, it is now more like a lead-up race to the Oaks than a race that we thought we could win.”
James has been a frequent campaigner at Queensland’s Winter Carnival throughout his career, and he said it has become logistically challenging in recent years with the lack of a direct flight from Auckland.
“I have been going there for close on 40 years and there used to be direct flights and there is not anymore, which makes it difficult,” he said.
However, he said both of his current Queensland team – Solid Gold and Sweynesday – have handled the trip with aplomb and are loving life in the warmer climes of Queensland.
“The two horses that we have over there are just legends,” James said. “They are eating and sleeping and doing what work we ask of them, and they are coping very well.”
Group One performer Sweynesday finished fifth in the Listed Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) at Gosford last week, and James was pleased with the result following a tough run.
“I thought his run was very brave and he was never closer than four wide, and he was five wide at the turn,” James said. “He had 58 kilos on his back and he just kept finding the line in a fresh-up state. He has only been beaten 1.3 lengths.
“It was a very hard run fresh-up but fortunately he has bounced through it and he will run next in the BRC Sprint (Gr.3, 1350m) next Saturday.”
Kingsclere Stables’ Queensland team could grow to three in the coming weeks if Excite once again lives up to his name in Saturday’s Listed Cloudsoft Accounting Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie.
The Wootton Bassett colt broke through for a deserved stakes victory at Te Rapa a fortnight ago in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1400m) after placing in his first two starts before running fourth in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
James has been pleased with his progression and said he is line to cross the Tasman to target the Gr.1 JJ Atkins (1600m) at Eagle Farm on June 13 if he lives up to his $1.70 favourite’s tag on Saturday.
“I have taken a two-year-old to Brisbane once before but not for the JJ Atkins,” James said. “He is doing everything right, he is a good-looking colt and he has come to hand at the right time to consider that race if he is impressive tomorrow.”
Excite will be met on Saturday by Incandescent, who will be out to turn the tables on his more fancied stablemate after finishing runner-up to him in their last outing.
“Looking at the field, I would say he would be the hardest for Excite to beat. He has trained on well and his work on Tuesday morning was very good.
“Taking them off their work, there is very little between them.”
James will also head to Ellerslie with December, who will drop back from a mile to 1300m in the Kingmakers ‘Become A Principal Owner’ 1300.
“He pulled pretty hard over a mile and we have freshened him and brought him right back,” James said. “He’s too good of a horse not to go a big race, he is very consistent and 1300m in a fresh state will really suit him.”
James is also upbeat about the chances of Zivou and Arwen in the Trackside.co.nz 1100, while Grinzinger Moon impressed with her New Zealand debut win at Ellerslie last week and she will be out to replicate that result in the Hallmark Stud 1100.
“Zivou was very good last start in a stronger field and he goes into the race in good order,” James said. “He looked very good in the pre-race trot-ups this morning. He is a quality animal and he looked very well.
“You couldn’t count Arwen out but she is fresh-up and she will probably be better next start. She is too good not to run a race.
“Grinzinger Moon’s work on Wednesday morning was as good as I have seen her work. It was improved work on what we had seen prior to her last start. I am still learning about her, but on her work you would have to say she goes into the race a definite chance.”
Rounding out the stable’s Ellerslie representation will be To The Max and Cosmic Dream in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai 1300.
“I thought the draw really cost Cosmic Dream first-up at Te Rapa,” James said. “She was three-wide and the two that beat her home had cushy runs. Unfortunately, she has drawn wide again so we are reliant on an economical trip for her.
“To The Max is going to get an economical trip because he has drawn two, so that balances those two a little bit.”