Classy Kiwi mare Silent Achiever is on track for the Sydney autumn carnival after her first-up second at Ellerslie on Sunday.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Making her first appearance since finishing a disappointing fourth in the Matriarch Stakes at Flemington in November, Silent Achiever ran home strongly from last an a seven horse field over 1400m carrying 61kg to just miss by a nose.
The NZ Derby winner was beaten by Maximum Height, who registered his fifth successive win but was in receipt of 5kg from Silent Achiever.
Trainer Roger James has confirmed that Silent Achiever, winner of the Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley last spring, has the G1 Chipping Norton Stakes, G1 Ranvet Stakes and G1 BMW at Rosehill as the mare's Sydney targets.
Maximum Height's trainer Antony Fuller is not considering a Sydney trip, naming the G1Easter Handicap at Ellerslie in April as his autumn goal.
Xanadu is another high class mare heading to Sydney for the autumn.
Matamata trainer Ken Kelso is setting Xanadu for the G1 Coolmore Classic and G1 Queen Of The Turf at Rosehill. She has also been nominated for the Doncaster Mile at Randwick.
Xanadu has won four of her 13 starts with six minor placings including four in G1 races in the past 10 months.
“She certainly deserves to win a Group One,” Kelso said after her latest G1 second in the Waikato Draught Sprint at Te Rapa on February 9.
The Shaune Ritchie-trained Zurella, third in the Waikato Draught Sprint, is another Kiwi mare set for the Coolmore Classic.
Kelso's unbeaten two-year-old filly Bounding, also a possible for Sydney, is set to resume at Matamata on Saturday.
"How she goes in the Matamata race will decide what we do," Kelso said.
"Whether we take her over to Aussie or stay here for the Diamond Stakes. We'll just take one step at a time.'
Bounding, by Lonhro, has not been seen since she won her first two starts at Ellerslie and Pukekohe in the spring.
The $200,000 G1 Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on March 9 is also the next target for the Stephen Marsh-trained Karaka Million winner Ruud Awakening.
