Racing: Stable grabs matching set of group wins

Two Illicit charges to the line to take out the Gr.1 Rydges Wellington Captain Cook Stakes.

On a day loaded with multiple-win superstars at Te Rapa, the irony was the biggest of them all wasn't there.

And that didn't worry trainer Roger James.

James watched from Awapuni as training partner Robert Wellwood saddled three black type winners for the stable, headlined by Two Illicit's incredibly valuable Group 1 win in the $220,000 Captain Cook Stakes.

The stable yesterday also prepared Concert Hall to win the Group 2 Cal Isuzu and Cheaperthandivorce to take the Group 3 Waikato Cup, a matching set of group races rarely seen in New Zealand racing.

James and Wellwood had stiff competition for standout stars of the show from jockeys Danielle Johnson, Leith Innes and even owner-breeders Trelawney Stud.

Johnson rode Two Illicit and Cheaperthandivorce, as well as winning the delayed Wakefield Challenge Stakes on Wolverine for her group race matching set, while Trelawney Stud, run by Brent and Cherry Taylor, bred and owned Two Illicit and Cheaperthandivorce.

The comeback story of the day was Innes, who, after a forced three-month break from riding because he was trapped inside the Auckland boundary, rode four winners, including Concert Hall and J Swap Sprint winner Packing Rockstar in a masterclass day in the saddle.

But for all the mega winners collecting money, handshakes and hugs at Te Rapa, it was James and Wellwood who deserve the most credit, as their feat is one of the greats in recent New Zealand racing history and took skill, planning and patience.

After an interrupted season last term, James and Wellwood were given one goal with Two Illicit this season: to win the Group 1 needed to turbocharge her breeding career.

She will now clash with Concert Hall when the latter defends her Zabeel Classic in another Group 1 at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

"I was the only one to let us down all day because I only managed a black type second," he said with a laugh after Achieve finished runner-up in her Group 3 at Awapuni.

"I am happy for Robert to be there handling such a great day up there because he works so hard and it should be a young trainer like him in the spotlight."

The James-Wellwood trio will be aimed at Ellerslie's big Christmas carnival, with Cheaperthandivorce having the City Of Auckland Cup on her agenda.

Her trainers will be hoping a few of the tough old stayers handicapped above her turn up to keep her weight down after she lumped 57.5kg to victory at Te Rapa yesterday.

The only slight down side to three of yesterday's sparkling wins was that — but for suspension — Vinnie Colgan could have been on not only Two Illicit and Concert Hall but Packing Rockstar.

Although suspensions are nothing new for jockeys, he could have won the Captain Cook on Two Illicit had it been run as intended at Trentham last Saturday.

But with Colgan returning next week, the northern senior jockeys' ranks could be at their strongest and most in-form in recent years for the Ellerslie carnival.