Silent Achiever has not recorded a race win for over a year, but trainer Roger James is happy with her form heading into the 2015 Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Silent Achiever has the chance to return to winning form in the 2015 Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast on Saturday. Photo by: Steve Hart
Silent Achiever took out the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 The BMW (2400m) during the 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and was unable to replicate that form during her recent campaign in Sydney, but still produced credible performances in races like the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m), Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m), Ranvet Stakes and The BMW.
James believes that Silent Achiever has performed at a similar level to what she did 12 months ago and he is hopeful that a slightly softer track at the Gold Coast on Saturday will help her return to winning form in the Group 2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m).
“She has travelled over and is taking everything in her stride,” James told RSN.
“It is a new environment for her, but she is well-travelled and she is thriving.
“I think that she has raced right up to her very best form without winning.
“Two and a half lengths is about as most as she has been away from winning, but significantly when she won the Ranvet and The BMW last year she struck a slow or a heavy track and she has definitely also enjoyed a bit of give in the ground.
“I think that was the only difference and I think she is right up to the levels that she has ever been.”
Silent Achiever will be dropping back in trip from 2400 metres to 1800 metres in the Hollindale Stakes and James admits that the step back in trip is a challenge for the O’Reilly mare.
The O’Reilly mare has never recorded a race win in three race starts after dropping back from 2400 metres to 2000 metres, but James hopes that a week spent in the spelling paddock will help his star mare get some freshness back into her legs for the 2015 Hollindale Stakes.
“It is a challenge,” James said.
“She has proven two years in a row that it was difficult to come back and that is why we didn’t do it in the Queen Elizabeth this year.
“She has had a week in the paddock and it is a month between runs.
“Having said that the Hollindale is not our main aim – it is the Doomben Cup.”
Silent Achiever is currently available at 2015 Hollindale Stakes odds of $5 with Ladbrokes and is on the second line of betting behind Arabian Gold ($4.60).
