“I am certain she will,” says James, not a man known for such certainty in his pre-race remarks.
“Her work on Tuesday morning was as good if not better than she has ever worked. We don’t often use raceday jockeys for trackwork but we wanted Michael McNab to have a sit on her and she worked very well for him, almost too well.”
But it is what happened in the hours after that 1400m work that convinced James his three-year-old is ready for the challenge of the older horses.
“We trotted her up on Tuesday afternoon and she was off her head, she was feeling that good,” explains James.
“She was kicking and running around and double-barrelling, I had to get the guys to put her back in the stable because I was scared she was going to hurt herself.
“Then next morning she had eaten all her dinner so all the signs, from her work to her recovery, were perfect.”
Those words will hardly please rival trainers as not only was Prowess a surprise entry for the Bonecrusher but her 52kg and McNab create plenty of fear factor.
There is a gap between three-year-old racing and weight-for-age but Sharp ‘N’ Smart has already shown in the Herbie Dyke the best of this classic crop can beat the older horses,
with tomorrow’s third and fourth favourites in Campionessa and Defibrillate close in the Herbie Dyke.
The key runner tomorrow that wasn’t in the Herbie Dyke is La Crique, who was being thought of in similar terms to Prowess as a filly this time last year and has since gone on to win a Group 1 in October and finished second to Levante over 1600m last start.
La Crique is all class and, like Prowess, may be too fast for most of her older rivals.
She is also an Avondale Guineas winner over 2100m and looks ready for the step up in distance so with her and Prowess having tactical early speed their personal battle could be crucial, even though the other two favourites cannot be ignored.
The James/Wellwood stable also have Queen Elizabeth Cup winner Dionysus in tomorrow’s $500,000 Auckland Cup and he was playing up alongside Prowess when they trotted out on Tuesday.
“He is also feeling very well and worked over 2400m in as good a style as you could hope for on Tuesday,” says James.
“He is spot on and we know he will stay the distance so we will be very surprised if he doesn’t go close.
“There are a couple of smart horses to beat there, headed by Aquacade, but it looks an ideal race for him,” he added.
The James/Wellwood team also has Queensland Derby winner Pinarello back in race seven after a luckless Sydney spring campaign.
But they expect the distance at Pukekohe tomorrow to be too short for him to show his best.
Five ways to tackle Auckland Cup day
Whether working together, as trainer Mark Walker and stable jockey Opie Bosson are with Tokyo Tycoon, or separately, the pair look set to dominate the meeting.
Here are some of the smarter bets for Cup Day at Pukekohe Park tomorrow.
1. Tokyo Tycoon (R5, No 1)
Every start they get a chance to beat him and every start they don’t. He was mammoth here in the Karaka Million and the long straight and small field helps.
He does meet the filly who stretched his neck in the KM in Ethereal Star, but he might be just too brilliant.
2. Dragon Queen (R4, No 1)
Doesn’t win that often but produces huge races at a very high level and because of that gets in well under the set weights and penalties conditions.
Has Bosson back on and a low draw so won’t do much work and it’s hard to see her not being in the finish.
3. Synchronize (R7, No 12)
Always charging home, including a wicked win here at stakes level over 1200m on Boxing Day, so is very well weighted.
The ace barrier isn’t ideal but the step up to 1400m should see her have time to get away from inside and not a lot of her rivals look at their peak.
4. Aquacade (R9, No 13)
It is tempting to try and look smart by backing something to beat Aquacade in the Cup, especially at her first 3200m start.
But she was so dominant in the Avondale Cup here last start that she picks herself. Jockey Warren Kennedy’s stats at Pukekohe this summer are excellent.
5. It’s Business Time (R6, No 4)
Walker and Bosson again.
This mare is ideally suited by the special conditions of this race which mean you had to be a maiden at time of nomination, yet she has since won two races.
She beat a stakes-performed filly in Cheval D’Or last start.
Although dropping back from 1600m to 1400m isn’t perfect, the long straight at the Pukekohe venue helps as she has a big finishing kick and should do the job.
