Racing: Mare's major achievement

Silent Achiever finally broke her group one duck in Australia by winning the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday. Photo / Richard Robinson

Kiwi-bred asserts her class in beating Australasia's premier gallopers in Ranvet Stakes.

The first Melbourne Cup to reach A$1 million was in 1985, won by former New Zealander What A Nuisance.

Last November's Cup was A$6.2 million, a huge jump in what is, by history's standards, a relatively short period.

It's that which could keep Silent Achiever in this part of the world, rather than tackle an English Northern Hemisphere campaign later this year.

Connections, particularly trainer Roger James, of classy mare Silent Achiever are now subjected to seduction for appearances at iconic meetings around Europe after her dramatic eclipse of the Queen's horse Carlton House in Saturday's A$500,000 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill.

Owner Kevin Hickman has good friends among English racing administrators and they are handing out invitations. Included is Lord Derby, a man whose heritage a couple of centuries ago inaugurated the famous race Silent Achiever won a slice of at Ellerslie two years ago.

Roger James, as a personal opinion, is unsure about travelling Silent Achiever to Europe compared with a Melbourne Cup campaign.

"A lot less complicated and a lot more money," was James' succinct summation to the Herald from Sydney yesterday.

Racing is a game in which you never say never and the possibility exists that thoughts could change if Silent Achiever does not manage the 3200m of the Sydney Cup should James decide to tackle that race in preference to the shorter Queen Elizabeth Stakes on the same day, April 19.

"I'll wait until after the BMW [2400m] to decide about the Sydney Cup," said James yesterday.

That said, the astute James has never doubted Silent Achiever's 3200m potential in advance of her attempting it, her Melbourne Cup tilt last year being scuttled by disastrous injuries in the Caulfield Cup.

The riding performances in group one racing in Australia should be bottled. Nash Rawiller gave a magnificent example on Silent Achiever.

Kerrin McEvoy was no less spectacular on Carlton House, replacing an absent Tommy Berry, and James McDonald deserved better than third placing on It's A Dundeel.

In the opening 200m McDonald served it up to Damien Oliver on the favourite Fiorente, which resulted in Fiorente for a time being posted three deep.

You were left thinking: "Whoops, stewards' action." But chief steward Ray Murrihy, declared, beautifully: "Group one racing, group one riding."

It has to be said It's A Dundeel is either racing much more dour than last year, or he was disappointing. McDonald eventually got to where he wanted to be - on Fiorente's back - expecting to be able to outsprint the Melbourne Cup winner in the home straight, but by the time he realised Fiorente wasn't going forward from the 400m, he was one length further back than he wanted, or needed, to be.

The way It's A Dundeel responded, that made little difference to his third placing.

Silent Achiever has come through what looked to be a knock-down, drag-out fight better than you'd think and Roger James is not surprised.

"The great thing about her is that she gets into a rhythm in her races and from there she relaxes into this very high cruising speed.

"Even when Nash let her down, she was still cruising and it wasn't until she was really asked that she found one length very quickly. She has a wonderful racing style in that respect."

Rawiller expressed respect for both the first two horses.

"I rode Carlton House last start. I thought I'd beat him by a neck 150m out, but he fought back brilliantly. He's a very good horse and so is she."

Fiorente dropped away and was very disappointing.

It's A Dundeel's run was a: well, let's see next time.