Second chance for Solid Gold in Oaks

Kiwi filly Solid Gold (NZ) (Savabeel) will be on the quick back-up when she takes her place in Saturday’s Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) following her fifth placing in last weekend’s Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m).

The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained daughter of Savabeel was sent forward from a wide barrier in the Derby and was a touch plain when beaten just over five lengths behind Providence after being sent out a well-supported $4.40 favourite.

“I was initially disappointed, but then when I watched the replay on a number of occasions, she did work for a long way, probably the best part of 600m before she got to her position,” James said.

“In the commentary they were saying they were going past the 1800m and she’d only just got to where you’d want to be.

“There were a few that went around them and she never really got a chance to actually relax because the pace was so torrid, and then she was popped out about the half mile.

“I'm not criticising the ride at all, the draw is what I think cost us dearly.

“Tommy (Berry, jockey) said he thought he had a lot of horse at the 400m but she felt weak the last 150m, but I think when you analyse it, she did do a lot of work early, for a long way.”

Berry will stick with Solid Gold, who has drawn barrier four on Saturday but has three emergencies drawn inside her, meaning the filly could potentially start from barrier one.

“I'd rather be drawn one than 18,” James said.

“It was not her normal pattern to be going forward as much as she did last week, but the alternative when you draw that wide is you go right back, because you're never going to get in.

“Can you win it from last? Questionable. We made a decision and it didn't work. We made a similar decision with Pinarello a few years back and it did work.”

The reduced distance of the Oaks a week after the Derby is a somewhat curious piece of programming but James will take confidence from Solid Gold’s strong victory in the Gr.3 Championship Stakes (2100m) at Ellerslie prior to her trip to Queensland.

Equally it is not the first time James has had a runner contest both the Derby and the Oaks in Queensland, albeit the Classics were previously held in inverse order and both over 2400m.

“Absolutely, I believe they’re the wrong way around, but that’s not my decision,” James said.

“I remember many years ago having a filly called Melora over here and she ran third in the Oaks and I backed her up a week later and she ran second in the Derby.

“This filly is a big scopey filly but I am pleased with the way she came through her Derby effort.”

While Solid Gold will have two bites of the cherry, stablemate Sweynesday will return to New Zealand despite being beaten less than four lengths in the Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m).

“We looked at all options and to be fair he drew wide in both of his runs and carried 59kgs on both occasions,” James said.

“He came out of his last run just a little bit scratchy and even though he's probably pretty right now, it's necessitated a few days off and I just think it's not the right prep to be pressing on.”

Meanwhile James and Wellwood will have a small but select team at Ellerslie on Saturday, with talented fillies Arwen and Cosmic Dream to go head to head over 1400m and Hasstorock stepping out over 1500m.

“They're all form fillies but I think if you look at Cosmic Dream's two runs this prep, they've been enormous from wide, wide draws,” James said.

“I'd go slightly her way, but Arwen's done nothing wrong in her whole career and she's a good filly in the making. There's not a lot between them.

“Hasstorock is a little wee girl that needs the greater distance and needs luck, but she’s as honest as they come.”