Four-time Group 1-winning New Zealand-based mare Silent Achiever (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) is expected to make the first start of an ambitious year, which could include the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, in the G2 Apollo S. at Rosehill Feb. 14.
“She's very well,” trainer Roger James told RSN Racing and Sports Radio. “I just finalized plans yesterday with my owners and she's on the plane in about 10 days time to run first-up in the Apollo S. on the 14th.”
James noted the 6-year-old mare would progress to the G1 Chipping Norton S. Feb. 28, followed by the G1 Ranvet S. Mar. 21. James said the G1 The BMW Mar. 28 and the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. at The Championships Apr. 11 would also be under consideration, but the calendar is not ideal for his charge.
“The Ranvet and the BMW are close together and I don't think she comes back from 2400 meters to 2000 meters, which makes the Queen Elizabeth tricky, so she may only have three runs in Sydney,” he noted.
James said he was mindful of not giving Silent Achiever a strenuous autumn campaign with her Arc tilt in mind.
“I've done a lot of homework on that and we're very serious about it, and very mindful that we have to get through Sydney first,” he said. “But we have three runs lined up in France, all Group 1s. But before we can concentrate too much more on that we've got Sydney.”
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