Fresh off Orchestral’s dazzling display in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie last Saturday, trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood will head back to the Auckland track this weekend hoping to add another feature scalp to their record.
While Orchestral’s victory extended Roger James’ tally in the Derby to six, the Cambridge trainer hasn’t had the same luck in the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m), having yet to win the Barfoot & Thompson-sponsored staying feature.
However, he will have two solid chances of rectifying that this Saturday with Mark Twain ($6) and Dionysus ($6.50) the second and third favourite’s respectively behind Wexford Stables’ Asterix ($4.20).
Dionysus is accruing an enviable Cups record, having won the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m), Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m), Bulls Country Cup (2200m) and placed in the Waikato Cup, Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m), Gr.3 Counties Cup (2100m), and Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m) last start.
The son of Ocean Park has been on the comeback trail since his Waikato Cup triumph in December, but showed he was back to somewhere near his best with his Avondale Cup performance.
“Dionysus sustained quite a significant foot injury after his Waikato Cup win and had some time off,” James told Trackside NZ. “We have been playing catch-up and I think his last run signalled that we are right on track.”
While featuring prominently in the Cup market, Mark Twain was in danger of not making the final Auckland Cup field earlier this week, and his connections breathed a sigh of relief when he made the cut.
The son of Shocking returned to winning form at Te Rapa last month before finishing runner-up in the New Zealand St Leger Trial (2300m) at Otaki a fortnight later.
“I thought it (run in the St leger trial) was really good,” James said. “He got hemmed up in a small field which wasn’t ideal, but when he got out, he made good ground.”
James is happy with both of his runners ahead of Saturday and believes the weights may play a telling factor in the concluding stages of the two-mile test.
“Dionysus has got more weight (55kg) but he has also got more maturity. He is probably a little more rideable, you can put him in the race a little bit if you have to,” he said.
“The other horse doesn’t seem to have a lot of early pace, but he rounds them up really strongly late and he is beautifully weighted (52kg).”
