The Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) will always have special meaning to Cambridge horseman Robert Wellwood, who won his first Derby in the 2022 edition of the race with Pinarello (NZ) (Tavistock), and he is hoping to double his tally in the Classic this weekend.

Derbys were top of mind for Wellwood when he joined Derby King Roger James in a training partnership eight years ago, and he now has three to his record, with two of those coming in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) with Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) (2024) and Road To Paris (NZ) (Circus Maximus) (2026).

Wellwood will now be shooting for his fourth, while James is in search of his ninth, when Waikato Stud filly Solid Gold (NZ) (Tavistock) contests the Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

While winning a Derby with a filly is nothing new for the pair, they will have their work cut out for them from Solid Gold’s wide alley of 14.

The stable has had a frustrating run of wide draws for their contenders in Queensland this autumn, and Solid Gold continued that trend when drawing barrier 13 in the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben a fortnight ago, where she ran on well for fifth.

“She went back and her run was very good. Eagle Farm is a bigger track so that will suit her,” Wellwood said.

“We haven’t had any luck whatsoever with any of our Australian runners this autumn, but we have just got to hope for a bit of luck on Saturday.”

James is currently in Brisbane overseeing Solid Gold’s final few days, and Wellwood said he has received positive reports from his training partner.

“Roger is over there and he has been happy with her,” he said. “She worked on the course proper on Tuesday and worked nicely, it’s just the weather and barrier that is not playing our way.”

While the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) seven days later was also an exciting target, Wellwood said they chose the Derby for several reasons, particularly the extra 200m distance.

“We chose it for the extra distance, it is worth $300,000 more and when we saw her compete against the boys in the Rough Habit, and competed well, and came out of it so well, we decided to look at going to the Derby,” he said.

While a Group One assignment awaits Solid Gold this weekend, her trainers are currently weighing up the options for her stablemate Sweynesday (NZ)(Sweynesse) following his two unplaced runs in Queensland in the Listed Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) and Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m).

“He has just had no luck with barriers either and has been caught three and four wide with no cover in both of his runs,” Wellwood said.

“Whether he has one more run there or whether he comes back and focusses on domestic targets next year is still to be decided.”

Back at home, the stable is set to line-up a quartet of runners in the coming days, and Wellwood is particularly looking forward to three-year-old gelding Dark Duke (NZ) (Vadamos) making his debut in the Gartshore Construction Maiden 1400 at Tauranga on Friday.

“Dark Duke is a nice horse and he has drawn nicely (4),” Wellwood said. “I think he is going to be better with time, but he is a horse we are looking forward to seeing step out.” - Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Crouch to lumber big impost in Sandown Cup

Mike Breslin couldn’t be any happier with Crouch ahead of Sunday’s Listed Sandown Cup (3200m), with his only concern being his 60-kilogram impost.

The six-year-old gelding finished eighth in his Australian debut in the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington a fortnight ago, and Breslin said he has thrived after being given more time to settle in.

“I think he has improved since his first run, he didn’t travel that great when he came over, he has had that run and has just kept improving,” Breslin said.

Breslin arrived in Melbourne on Thursday morning and welcomed the drops of rain on his windshield as he drove out to meet Crouch at Pakenham.

“It is raining here in Melbourne, the track is a Heavy9 at the moment, so it’s not going to get too firm for him, even if the rain goes away,” he said.

Breslin said everything is working out well for his gelding in the lead-up to Sunday, with the exception of his allotted weight.

“I was buoyed by the fact that Harry Coffey was keen to ride him again,” Breslin said. “Everything is going according to plan - he is going to get a track he likes, he runs two miles - it’s just the impost of the 60 kilos, which is an impost over two miles.

“He is a strong horse, and he has won carrying weight before, but there are a whole lot of light weights in the race.”

One interesting fact the Palmerston North trainer did note was Crouch’s rating increased upon arriving in Australia prior to his first run.

“The handicapper increased his rating,” Breslin said. “He went from 93 in New Zealand to 97 in Australia before his first run, which I found a bit perplexing. Now they have dropped him back three.

“I did a bit of homework on the last couple of years’ fields, and he would have got 56.5kg or 57.5kg, depending on what year it was, but it is just the way it is.

“If we had a couple of kilos less, I am confident he would go really close.”

Back in New Zealand, Breslin will line-up a quartet of runners at his home synthetic meeting at Awapuni, three of whom will have their first start on the surface.

Seven-year-old gelding Showbastian Coe is a seasoned professional on the polytrack, winning four and placing in five of his 11 starts on the surface, and Breslin is confident of another bold showing in the Rowden Electrical Services LTD Sprint (1000m).

“Showbastian Coe is a machine on the poly, he has won four races on it,” Breslin said. “He won with 59 (kg) last season, so he is going to carry the same weight again. I gave him a pipe opener just to get him fit for the poly season, and he will run well, he always does on the poly.”

In form stablemate Kosta has placed in his last two starts but will be tested on Awapuni’s synthetic track for the first time on raceday this weekend in The Pavemasters Ashhurst-Pohangina Cup (1400m).

“He is a talented horse,” Breslin said. “There are a couple of nice horses in that race. It will be interesting to see how he goes on the poly.

“I was keen to have Jonathan Riddell on him because he still wants to do things a bit wrong and Jonathan is a good, strong rider, so I think he will so the horse.

“Awapuni horses have a slight advantage because they work on the track, but you still don’t know until they actually race on it. He handles is alright (in training).

“He is a bit wayward still so the tight corners might be a bit of an issue, but I think he will cope with the actual surface alright.”

Stablemates Popinjay and Afterthought will also make their polytrack debuts in the Murray Free Contracting 1400 and Manawatu Mini Spreaders 1700 respectively.

“Popinjay is fresh-up,” Breslin said. “He is still quite a green horse. I am not sure whether the poly will be a question mark for him, but he is a big striding green horse still, so we are just using this to kick-off his campaign.

“I think if Afterthought can get a bit softer time in the first half of the race, he could cope with the poly quite well.” - Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Vale Anne Herbert

The New Zealand Thoroughbred industry is mourning the loss of another member of its community this week with the passing of Group One-winning trainer Anne Herbert, aged 68.

Herbert had a lifelong passion for horses, taking the well-worn path of riding at pony club as a child before progressing to ride track work and ultimately took out her trainer’s license in 1991.

She made the perfect start as a trainer, with her first runner, Perfect Return, winning at her home track of Awapuni, and she would go on to record many more over the next 35 years, including at the highest level.

Herbert trained several topline thoroughbreds, including 2002-03 New Zealand Horse of the Year and five-time Group One winner Tit For Taat (NZ) (Faltaat), 2006 Gr.1 Railway (1200m) winner Baldessarini (NZ) (Green Purfume), and dual Group Three winner Salvatore (NZ) (Howbaddouwantit).

Initially training in Manawatu, Herbert subsequently moved to Cambridge where she met fellow trainer Toni Croon, and the pair developed a close relationship, with Herbert eventually training a couple of horses for Croon when she moved back to the Chatham Islands several years ago.

“She’s my bestie,” Croon said. “We were neighbours in Cambridge, I was a little bit lost and she took me under her wing, and we have been best friends ever since.

“She had unconditional love for the people around her and when you think of Anne you just think of love. Her friendship and love for me has always been huge.”

Herbert operated a boutique stable and Croon said she had a talent with horses.

“She has had many winners over the years, she has been very boutique but a very astute horsewoman,” Croon said.

While spending most of her career in Cambridge, Herbert moved back to Manawatu before electing to semi-retire in Christchurch, where she was closer to her sister, Julie Walsh, and continued to train a couple of horses out of Riccarton for Croon.

“She left Cambridge and went to Awapuni, and her health deteriorated and that brought her to Christchurch to be closer to her sister, Julie Walsh,” Croon said.

“She moved down to the South Island about five years ago and she has just been doing my horses, so I have been very fortunate to have her all to myself. Her health hasn’t been the best in the last five years, so just doing one or two horses has been enough.

“The move down to Christchurch and Riccarton was the best move in her life. The warm welcome that she got from Riccarton and the people down there was great and she has always appreciated it.”

While she only trained a couple of horses in Christchurch, Herbert had plenty of success for Croon, particularly with Contemplation Bay (NZ), who won four races under her care before transferring to Terri Rae, who has won a further two races with the daughter of Rageese.

“She used to race the mother (of Contemplation Bay), and we have sold a couple out of her, so we have done well,” Croon said.

Croon said Herbert’s love for the horse was unwavering and she will be dearly missed by her family and friends.

“She had an undying love for the horse and New Zealand racing. There wasn’t much that she didn’t know and not much she hadn’t seen,” Croon said.

“She left this world loving the world, and her masterpieces are her children.”

A celebration of Anne's life will be held at Riccarton Park Racecourse in Christchurch on Friday, May 29, at midday. - Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Western Australian star makes Melbourne move

Cosmic Crusader (NZ) (Maurice) has moved to Victoria ahead of the Spring Carnival.

The Group One winner has been transferred into the care of Andrea Leek at Pakenham.

The New Zealand-bred son of Maurice won the Gr.1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) in December, before charging home to be narrowly beaten by Rey Magnerio in the Gold Rush over 1400 metres a week later.

He could resume in the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 29, with races like the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) and Gr.1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) logical targets from there.

Michael Grantham, his former trainer, said he expected Cosmic Crusader to return to his stable later this year.

“He is a really good horse, I hope he can prove it over there,” Grantham told Giddy Up with Gareth Hall on Thursday.

Cosmic Crusader has won eight of his 17 career starts and banked more than A$1.5 million in prizemoney. - Racing.com