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Orchestral set to shine at Sport Nation Otaki-Maori WFA Classic
Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • February 21st, 2025 11:45 am
Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Roger James and Robert Wellwood have played starring roles on many of Ellerslie’s biggest racedays over the last 13 months, and the Cambridge trainers are hoping to continue that trend on Saturday and again on Champions Day on March 8.
Ellerslie staged four races last season with a stake of $1 million or more, and there have been three so far in 2024-25. James and Wellwood have won three of those seven-figure prizes with their stable star Orchestral.
The high-class daughter of Savabeel headlines the Kingsclere contingent again at Ellerslie this Saturday, lining up in the Gr.1 Sport Nation Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) ahead of a tilt at the $1 million Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) two weeks later.
She will be backed up by three promising stablemates who will use their Saturday assignments as auditions for lucrative three-year-old prizes on Champions Day. That includes exciting talent Dealt With, who has a slot in the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) and will have his final dress rehearsal in the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m).
James and Wellwood will also saddle a pair of potential $1.25 million Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby contenders, with the unbeaten Oceana Dream lining up in the Gr.2 Eagle Technology Avondale Guineas (2100m) while last-start winner Grey Area takes on Rating 65 opposition in the Eagle Charters (2100m).
Orchestral was the standout three-year-old of the summer last season, producing dazzling performances to roar home from off the pace and win the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) by three and a half lengths, the Avondale Guineas by four lengths and the New Zealand Derby by 3-3/4 lengths. She later ventured across to Sydney and added the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) and a placing in the Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m).
Unplaced in her first four appearances as a four-year-old this season, Orchestral turned her form around with a commanding last-start victory in the Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m) on January 25.
“You had to be pretty impressed with what she did last start,” James said. “She won with ease in the end. It was very pleasing to see her produce a performance like that.
“Everything’s gone really well with her since then. She’s had a nice break between runs to keep her as fresh as we can for another mile on Saturday, and she’s going into this race in very good order. It’s very much the idea to step her up to 2000m for the New Zealand Stakes next, and then hopefully we might take her back to Australia after that.”
Things have happened quickly for Dealt With, who burst on to the scene with a smart win on debut at Te Aroha on January 4. He won again at Pukekohe on January 19, then was thrown in at the deep end and ran a close third behind Damask Rose and Tuxedo in the Karaka Millions 3YO.
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“He came a long way in quite a short period of time,” James said. “He’s improved with every run. He’s a big, burly boy and we’ve had to really stay on top of him, but his campaign is geared around that 1500m race in a couple of weeks’ time. We think we’re right on target.”
Dealt With will represent the Kerri Spence Bloodstock & Clotworthy Racing slot in the NZB Kiwi, and the TAB rates him a $10 chance in a market headed by Evaporate ($4), Checkmate ($6), Damask Rose ($6) and Perfumist ($7).
James is also enthusiastic about his chances of yet another victory in the New Zealand Derby, which he has previously won with Tidal Light (1986), Roysyn (1995), Zonda (1997), Hades (1999), Silent Achiever (2012) and Orchestral.
Oceana Dream, who brings a perfect two-from-two record into the Avondale Guineas on Saturday, is rated a $12 chance for this year’s Ellerslie classic. The lightly raced Grey Area is at $31.
“I really like Oceana Dream,” James said. “He’s a lovely type of three-year-old who I’m very confident will stay. My only worry with him on Saturday is that he’s drawn awkwardly in gate 14 against quite a good field where there doesn’t seem to be a lot of pace. So I hope there will be a reasonable pace on, because that usually ensures that the best horse wins.
“Grey Area is a horse we’ve got a lot of time for as well. He’d run 2400m tomorrow if there was a race we could run him in over that distance. He’s got a fantastic constitution and a great attitude. I think he’s got a lot in front of him.”
James and Wellwood also have seven entries at Pukekohe on Sunday, including first-starter Hephaestus in the TAB (1600m). The colt by The Autumn Sun was bought for $160,000 as a yearling at Karaka and scored a seven-length win in a small trial field at Ellerslie on February 11.
“He’s a nice horse in the making,” James said. “He’s a big horse who has taken a while, which can sometimes be the case with The Autumn Sun’s progeny. That trial win was only a three-horse field, so you probably can’t read a lot into it, but he’s certainly gone the right way since then.”
