Roger James has yet to confirm Silent Achiever’s path to this year’s Melbourne Cup, but he has settled on the most likely first step she’ll take toward Flemington.
“She’s back in work and doing well and at this stage I’m planning to run her first-up in the Memsie Stakes (at Caulfield) on August 30 and I haven’t finalised anything after that,” the Cambridge trainer said.
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| Silent Achiever photo: Trish Dunell |
“She had a week on our farm and she’s done just over a week back in the stable. We have to be a bit careful with her after she’s spelled as she has a tendency to tie up when she starts work.”
Silent Achiever was injured on the eve of the 2013 Melbourne Cup and returned in the autumn to claim a hat-trick of Group One victories in the New Zealand Stakes, the Ranvet Stakes and The BMW before she finished fourth in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in April.
The Kevin Hickman-bred and owned mare has led a productive season for James, who is seventh equal on the premiership with 43 winners – his best domestic return since his 2008-09 tally of 46.
“It’s been very good both in New Zealand and Australia, an excellent season all around,” he said.
“I haven’t got as many young horses as I’ve had in the past, but I’ve got a number of good three-year-olds who are going to be really nice four-year-olds.”
They include the promising fillies Lady Cumquat and Miss Foxwood and the geldings Delago’s Secret and Full Count.
Lady Cumquat won the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic and is still spelling following her third placing in the Gr.3 Adrian Knox Stakes at Randwick in April.
Miss Foxwood has won once from eight starts and was third in the Gr.3 Sarten Memorial and fourth in the Gr.1 NZ 1000 Guineas while Delago’s Secret and Full Count have both been multiple winners this term. – NZ Racing Desk.
