The hurdles to Derby victory and the first filly to win the Classic since Popsy in 1993 are becoming difficult to spot.
The deadline for the $22,500 Derby late entry fee is Tuesday next week and James says the payment will be made after Silent Achiever gallops next Tuesday morning.
Last week, Silent Achiever and Ocean Park were joint $3.60 Derby favourites with the TAB, but yesterday morning you could get just $2.20 around the filly and $4.50 for Ocean Park.
Such is the dominance of Silent Achiever.
Outside of Popsy, Tidal Light is the only other filly to win the Derby (1986) since Our Flight won in 1982.
Those results seem meagre for fillies, but relative to the numbers who have contested the Derby with an actual chance they would stack up alongside the males.
The New Zealand Derby used to be run at Riccarton and Ellerslie had its Great Northern Derby before the two races merged in the early 1970s.
Before that merger, few fillies traditionally took on the Derby and the winners among those that did were: Classic Wave (1972), Jazz (1967), Trial Offer (1964), Passive (1956), Silver Scorn (1932), Enthusiasm (1922) and Desert Gold (1915).
In England, the home of our style of racing, fillies are not eligible to run in the Derby and neither were geldings.
When the New Zealand Derby was inaugurated in the mid-1800s, our racing fathers must have wondered what they had struck when fillies won four of the first runnings and eight of the first 13.
In racing, it's every bit as important to learn what not to do as what to do.
James McDonald acknowledged this when unsaddling Silent Achiever.
"She's incredible, this filly, and I'm learning more about her all the time.
"I learned something today - you can bet a lot of money you won't see me hitting the lead on her at the top of the home straight in the Derby."
McDonald was referring to Silent Achiever almost taking him by surprise with the acceleration she displayed when he asked for an effort to go around the field from the back approaching the home bend.
She went from the tail to outside the leaders and taking the front in what seemed a blinding flash.
Silent Achiever dropped back beyond mid-field early as usual and McDonald was relaxed.
"I wasn't worried where I was because I knew I had the best horse in the race. But as much as I know how good she is, the sprint she turned on surprised even me."
Silent Achiever has learned her ringcraft quickly, but displayed a fraction of greenness in wanting to switch off once she got to the front at the 350m. She thought the job was done and McDonald reminded her it wasn't.
The TAB's early market on the $200,000 Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie on March 10 will be interesting.
Australian juvenile Ockham's Razor may have been beaten in Saturday's Platinum Homes 2YO Classic at New Plymouth, but he did more to increase his following for the two group one 2-year-old races here than to put punters off.
Without detracting from the winner, Choice Bro, Ockham's Razor was impressive in defeat.
He drew out, sat three wide without cover, was forced four wide on the home turn, when improving towards the leaders, and did not stop fighting to the line to be beaten half a neck.
Choice Bro was one of the several horses Ockham's Razor checked when rider Daniel Moor allowed him to shift in significantly under pressure in the home straight.
The incident was all blamed on Moor, who paid the price with an eight-day suspension and a $1000 fine.
