Kingsclere seeking another Derby scalp
Kingsclere Stables have an exciting week ahead of them, with promising mare She’s A Dealer (Ace High) shooting for black-type at Trentham on Sunday, while six days later the Cambridge barn will hold a strong hand in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).
Trainer Roger James had five New Zealand Derby wins to his name before Robert Wellwood joined him in partnership eight years ago, and a win in the race was high on his list.
Wellwood achieved that goal two years ago with Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel), and the stable is favoured to repeat the feat with another filly in this year’s HKJC World Pool-sponsored Classic.
Their exciting filly Autumn Glory (NZ) (Ocean Park) currently heads the market following her runner-up performance in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) last Saturday behind Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park), with Yulong Investments electing to bypass the Derby in favour of Australian targets with the victor.
The burgeoning thoroughbred giant has decided to remain in New Zealand with their other recent purchase, Autumn Glory, with the daughter of Ocean Park seeking to add an elite-level crown to her Group Two heroics in the Waikato Guineas (2000m) two starts back.
Wellwood has been pleased with the way she has come through her Oaks run and said she ticks a lot of boxes heading into next week’s Derby.
“We have now seen two things,” he said. “In the Waikato Guineas she beat the boys and secondly in the Oaks she showed she can definitely see a mile-and-a-half out.
“She has ticked a few boxes that probably most haven’t in the race, and she has come through the Oaks in superb order.”
Stablemate Road To Paris (NZ) (Circus Maximus) has also impressed, having finished runner-up in his last two outings, including in the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m) last weekend, and TAB bookmakers have installed him a $4.20 equal second favourite for the Derby alongside Avondale Guineas winner That’s Gold (Lucky Vega).
While he has shown plenty of talent on the track, Wellwood said the son of Circus Maximus still has plenty to learn.
“Road To Paris ran second in the Avondale Guineas doing things completely wrong,” he said. “He is a very high-class horse, we have always thought a lot of the horse, but he has really got to learn to do things the right way around to be winning it.”
Ariadne will round out the stable’s Derby representation, with her handlers electing to back her up in the Derby following her pleasing fourth placed result in the Oaks.
“She is a horse we now know goes the mile-and-a-half,” Wellwood said. “She had a bit of interference at the top of the straight in the Oaks, had she not had that perhaps she would have run a place. I would love to see an uninterrupted run for her. She certainly wouldn’t be out of it.”
The stable is also looking forward to contesting the Gr.3 Haunui Farm King’s Plate (1200m) with Sweynesday (NZ) (Sweynesse).
The five-year-old gelding has been a model of consistency, winning five and placing in four of his nine starts to date, including running third in last month’s Gr.1 Railway (1200m), his first tilt at stakes level.
“Masa (Hashizume, jockey) rode him in a bit of work (on Thursday morning) and it was probably as good as I have seen him work,” Wellwood said. “He is in terrific order and I am very happy with him.”
While looking forward to Champions Day, the stable’s immediate attention is racing this weekend, with She’s A Dealer seeking to breakthrough for an elusive stakes win in the Gr.3 Rydges Wellington Cuddle Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on Sunday.
The daughter of Ace High has finished fourth in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) and Gr.3 Aotearoa Classic (1600m) in her last two starts, and Wellwood is confident she will be able to attain black-type against her own sex this weekend.
“We are really happy with her,” he said. “We were keen to see her go 2000m, but the Kaimai Stakes (Listed) was run on a very wet track, so we are back against mares only here.
“A big mile at Wellington I think will suit and it would be great to see her get through to win her first black-type race.”
