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Full Noise by SN
The Live Sport Bible is here!Queensland Group One still on colt’s radar
Paul Vettise, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk • May 4th, 2026 3:32 pm
A Queensland campaign is in the offing for Excite. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
A trip to the Queensland winter carnival remains in the mix for talented colt Excite but the immediate focus is on another domestic black-type target.
The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained son of Wootton Bassett continued his rise when he accounted for stablemate Incandescent in Saturday’s Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Services Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa.
Excite will now run in the Listed Cloudsoft Accounting Champagne Stakes (1600m) on May 16 before a decision is made on a trip to Australia.
“He’ll definitely run in the mile at Ellerslie and we’ll just watch Incandescent for the next two or three days, he’ll either go there or to the paddock,” James said.
“I nominated Excite this morning for the JJ Atkins (Gr.1, 1600m), if he strung another one together impressively then we’d be inclined to think, all going well, we’d have a go.”
Prior to his Te Rapa success, Excite had finished runner-up in his first two appearances before a luckless fourth in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Trentham.
“He’s learning his trade and grew up a bit more after his trip to Wellington, he should have run second in the Sires without a doubt,” James said.
Meanwhile, older stablemate and last-start Gr.3 King’s Plate winner Sweynesday will head across the Tasman later today to make his Australian debut on Saturday ahead of a possible tilt at the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (Gr.1, 1400m).
“Sweynesday will run in the Takeover Target (Listed, 1200m) at Gosford on Saturday and Solid Gold goes over a week later,” James said.
The filly booked her trip with success in the Gr.3 Championship Stakes (2100m).
“We might run her in the Rough Habit (Gr.3, 2000m) and then that gives us three weeks into the Queensland Oaks (Gr.1, 2200m), she is just thriving,” James said.
Closer to home, four-time Australian winner Grinzinger Moon will debut for the stable at Ellerslie on Wednesday in the Auckland Co-Op Taxis (1200m).
“She came across to be mated at Windsor Park but didn’t get in foal so she had been out of work for about nine months when we got her,” James said.
“She has trialled up well and she’ll be an interesting prospect. If she does handle an off track, we might have a bit of fun with her in the winter.”
Three-year-olds The Spaniard (trackside.co.nz, 2100m), Pre Nup (Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series, 1400m) and Lydiard Park (Eagle Technology Maiden, 1500m) will also be in action.
“After that, we probably won’t have another runner for 10 or 12 days in New Zealand, the team will be quietening down for a bit,” James said.
