Trainer Roger James is confident that Silent Achiever will reach peak fitness after she runs in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday.
Silent Achiever will have her final run before the Caulfield Cup in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Silent Achiever started her 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with an 11th place finish in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) a on August 31 before finishing sixth in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) a fortnight ago and James told Racing Ahead that he believes the O’Reilly mare will continue to improve heading into the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) in just over a fortnights time.
“She has always been quiet frail and not a good feeder but she had hit Melbourne running this time,” James said.
“Both of her first two runs will improve her.
“We have nowhere to hide on Saturday; if she is going to ready for the Caulfield Cup she has to be ready on Saturday.”
Silent Achiever has produced some of her best results over the 2400 metre trip of the Caulfield Cup and James is of the belief that the five-year-old will relish the step-up in distance after running in the Turnbull Stakes this weekend.
“She has a good record at the distance,” James said.
“She won the New Zealand Derby by a quiet a margin when she was a relatively weak three-year-old filly and she was beaten by a nose in The BMW in the autumn.
“Her only other run at a mile and a half was in the AJC Derby and I think it is fair to say the Rosehill Guineas bottomed her at the end of a long three-year-old preparation.
“I believe it is her best distance.”
Veteran jockey Steve Arnold will maintain the ride on Silent Achiever and James said he is pleased that the fourteen time Group 1 winner has developed a close affinity with the staying mare.
“Steven has been a big help since we have been here and it’s great to have a team effort going into these big races,” James said.
“I was thrilled to have him stick with her.
Silent Achiever is returning to Flemington for the first time since she finished fourth behind Midnight Martini in the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) last spring.
