Silent Achiever To Resume In Apollo Stakes

Trainer Roger James has confirmed that talented mare Silent Achiever will return to racing in the 2015 Apollo Stakes at Royal Randwick on February 14.

Silent Achiever will start her 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign in the Apollo Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Silent Achiever will start her 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign in the Apollo Stakes. Photo by: Steve Hart

Silent Achiever has not been seen at the races since she finished a close third behind Adelaide in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25, but she has impressed James with her condition since returning to training and after a discussion with connections yesterday he decided that his star galloper would make the trip to Australia in less than two weeks.

James told Racing Ahead that Silent Achiever would head to the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm on February 28 and the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 14 after running in the Apollo Stakes before she either defends her title in the Group 1 The BMW (2400m) at the same venue on March 28 or contests the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on April 4.

“She is really well,” James said.

“I just finalised plans yesterday with my owners and she is on the plane in about ten days’ time to run first-up in the Apollo Stakes on the 14th.

“Two weeks until the Chipping Norton and three weeks to the Ranvet.

“After that we have got to make a decision as to whether we go to the Queen Elizabeth or The BMW.

“The fact that they have The BMW and the Ranvet a week later now has not go great appeal to me really and she wouldn’t do both.

“We have tried to come back off a mile and a half in a preparation twice and we have only been able to run fourth in the Queen Elizabeth.

“I am leaving every option open until after the Ranvet.”

James revealed at the end of last year that he wanted to take Silent Achiever to France for the 2015 edition of the Group 1 Prix De l’Arc De Triomphe (2400m) and he confirmed that the international trip was still on the agenda for the six-year-old.

The Cambridge-based trainers admits that Silent Achiever needs to get through her 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign first, but he said at this stage the daughter of O’Reilly will have to lead-up runs in the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet (2000m) and the Group 1 Prix Vermeille (2400m) before she takes on the world’s best in the Prix De l’Arc De Triomphe.

“I’ve done a lot of hard work on that and we are deadly serious about it, but we are very mindful that we have got to get through Sydney first,” James said.

“We have three runs lined up in France, all Group 1s.

“The first two are mares only at weight-for-age at Deauville and three weeks late 2400 at Longchamp and three weeks later to the Arc.

“Before we can concentrate on that we have Sydney and we start in the Apollo.”

Silent Achiever is currently available at 2015 Queen Elizabeth Stakes odds of $13 with Ladbrokes Australia.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.