If Silent Achiever is going to be good enough to go to Sydney and join in the huge spoils of The Championships, she needs to win today's $200,000 Lindauer New Zealand Stakes (R9).
Not that this is a pushover field, but Silent Achiever falls into the class of special andthat's what you need to win at group one level.
She is required to make a 500m step-up from winning on this track last start when she carried a hefty 60kg and won despite a sit-and-sprint tempo. She is much more a stayer than a sprinter and from a handy draw looks a great bet.
Orion (No3, R2) was good enough to be sent to the Melbourne spring carnival and although he failed to win, luck didn't always go his way there and he wasn't disgraced. He showed he was ready to perform close enough to his best here when he won a recent Matamata barrier trial and should be right in the fight late.
Finishing a nice fourth in the Telegraph at Trentham is enough to suggest Albany Reunion (No3, R3) can win today's R85 sprint, despite the weight rise to 58kg. He looks well placed despite the depth of talent in the race. Jubilate (No1) is going to benefit enormously from the 3kg apprentice allowance. Forget his failure at Trentham last start. Moneytree (No2) and Silverdale (No4) are musts for multiple bettors.
Beauty's Beast (No8, R5) has always looked exceptional and after overcoming a slight setback came back to win in a close call here last start. There is a suggestion he might have improved with the run and although this is tougher, he rates highly. Belial (No16) and In Style (No14) are classy.
Races like today's $200,000 Haunui Farm Diamond Stakes often have a match race look about them, but there is form aplenty in this contest. Vespa (No1, R6) won the Karaka Million, some might say because he handled the rain-affected track the best, but he is a quality horse and deserves to be favourite. At No8 out of 10 runners, the draw is slightly awkward, but trainer Johno Benner is unconcerned. You can make a case for five or six of them to be the main danger. Way In (No7), this time with a decent barrier, went huge when fourth from the outside gate in the Karaka Million and deserves respect. So does Riding Shotgun (No3), Steel Rose (No5) and O'Marilyn (No6).
The 57kg topweight is unlikely to stop class act Bounding (No1, R7) in the Mr Tiz Trophy, but the No10 barrier might prove awkward. She has enormous tactical speed, though, and it will be a surprise if she's beaten.
The Tidy Express (No2, R8) deserves a win, simple as that. She was outpaced at 1500m when dropping back in distance last start in the race won by her stablemate Silent Achiever and gets 2100m here, which should be ideal. So, too, will the 2kg Rowena Smyth takes off her 57.5kg. Coachline (No3) and Revelator (No10) are threats.
Vibrant (No7, R10) was perhaps just a shade disappointing when only second at Matamata last start and steps up to 1600m this time, which might help. Nordic Knight (No3) is in the right form to land the last race of the carnival.
