By BARRY STREET
Simply from the tone of his voice Roger James makes it evident how his powerful team is ticking over.
The prominent Matamata trainer has had more than his share of ups and downs in recent years - three New Zealand Derbys with Royson, Zonda and Hades the highlights but also gloomy injuries to Royson, Zonda and other group-race winners.
But yesterday James's spirits were high again - and with good reason.
He has three outstanding prospects for major events at the Wellington Cup carnival, which begins at Trentham on Saturday week.
They are Skoozi, Connate and Spottswoode.
And in two months he hopes to have his injured star 3-year-old filly One Under back in action for the lucrative Sydney autumn carnival.
Hades, Emerald Dream and Veejay are other quality 3-year-olds he intends to campaign in Sydney.
Skoozi failed by barely a blink of an eye to run down Bahnof Zoo, the all-the-way winner of the $150,000 The Oaks Stud Classic, the group two 1600m at Ellerslie on January 3.
He has been set for a listed-group one 1600m double at Trentham, the Anniversary Handicap and $150,000 Hutt Valley Cartage Thorndon Mile.
So has Connate, although she is only a two-race winner so almost certainly will have to finish first, second or third in the Anniversary to become exempt from any ballot for the Thorndon.
Connate was a desperately-unlucky third to Angel Baby and Macarena in a premier-quality 1400m at Ellerslie on January 3.
Another rising star of the James stable, 3-year-old Spottswoode, romped home by nearly four lengths in her debut at Matamata in mid-December and showed another touch of class when scoring by a length and a quarter in a class one 1400m at Tauranga last Thursday.
She will attempt the $60,000 group three 1600m for 3-year-olds, the Smokefree Wellington Stakes, on the first day at Trentham.
Hades was allowed five or six days in a paddock after his gutsy Derby win on Boxing Day and is now in full training again, hopefully to barnstorm Australia.
All going well, he will attempt three major races of the Sydney autumn carnival, the Canterbury and Rosehill Guineas and AJC Derby.
He may compete in a 1600m at the Wellington autumn meeting or in a trial as a lead-up to his first overseas campaign.
James was almost reduced to tears last September when his champion 2-year-old filly of last season, One Under, chipped a bone in a hindleg in Melbourne.
The dual group one winner of the 1999 Manawatu and Ellerslie Sires' Produce Stakes was deprived of a VRC Oaks attempt.
That was after ace Melbourne jockey Damian Oliver had ridden her into third with 59kg and from a No 16 draw in the Tranquil Stakes at Caulfield and declared her an Oaks certainty.
Three operations, including the removal of a splint bone, were needed to put right One Under's problem, which James yesterday described as "pretty nasty."
However, she is now galloping again with all her former alacrity, raising hopes of an AJC Australian Oaks win.
Emerald Dream and Veejay also have the class to make up a team superior to any James has campaigned in Australia.
Veejay made outstanding progress in only four races late last year with a pair of handsome wins to 1600m and a third in the New Zealand Derby Trial at Ellerslie.
Emerald Dream did likewise, winning a maiden sprint and then finishing second to Buzz Lightyear in the Hawkes Bay Guineas and runner-up to Cleese in the Waikato Guineas Trial.
Racing: James team look in fine fettle for Trentham sortie
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