Racing: James left with one final shot at glory

BRISBANE - Waikato trainer Roger James' main hope at the Queensland racing carnival now rests on La Sizeranne in next Saturday's Stradbroke Handicap after flops by Gaze and Kajema at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

James, who had an impressive strike-rate of two wins and two seconds at the carnival before three unplaced runs yesterday, will spell Gaze, and Kajema's Brisbane Cup campaign was terminated with a poor run in the group two O'Shea Stakes.

Gaze was a $4 favourite for the Queensland Oaks on the back of her commanding win in the Doomben Roses (2020m) a fortnight ago.

She had to overcome a barrier draw of 14 yesterday and jockey Danny Nikolic speared her forward. She was three wide for a short while, but Nikolic soon had her trailing the pacemaker Magic Harmony.

She ran to the lead at the top of the long Eagle Farm straight, but when the challengers came she could not respond and drifted out to 11th at the finish. The Clarry Conners-trained Allow won comfortably.

Nikolic thought she travelled well, but lacked zip when it counted.

"She was very one-batted," Nikolic said.

He thought the horse was still immature and James wondered too whether she might be a stronger stayer in a year's time.

He said she had to work hard early and that might have contributed to her failure.

A Queensland Derby start was immediately ruled out and James has said Gaze was unlikely to have a Caulfield-Melbourne Cups campaign in the spring, preferring to give her time to strengthen.

Gaze will return home to spell and despite her failure she will leave Queensland with a group three stamp on her passport after her win in the Doomben Roses.

Kajema finished 13th of 14 runners in the O'Shea after racing on the pace and the decision to forgo the Brisbane Cup came quickly.

"I don't think he is trying as much as he should. He's better than that," James said.

James admitted to feeling disappointed on the day - his other runner Hasta La Ciao Ciao finished 12th in the QTC Cup - but was enthusiastic about the prospects of 5-year-old mare La Sizeranne in the A$1 million ($1.19 million) Stradbroke.

"It was nice to see Countess Bathory win," James said.

Countess Bathory beat La Sizeranne by three-quarters of a length in the Glenlogan Park Stakes at Doomben a fortnight ago, with La Sizeranne storming home from the tail of the end.

"When I analysed it the next day it was clearly the fastest last 600m of the day," James said.

Meanwhile, Miss Potential is on track to run in the Stradbroke as she recovers from a leg infection.

Her Waikato trainer Bill Borrie said: "There is still some swelling, but we have given her a course of treatment (antibiotics)."

- NZPA