Racing: Success would be remarkable

Roger James. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Every trainer would like one wish granted going into a $1 million dollar race.

Roger James' is that tomorrow's $1 million 2000 Guineas was run at 2000m not 1600m.

If it were, James says he would be super confident He's Remarkable would be winning.

The Cambridge trainer believes his staying-bred colt will be very competitive, but that the race will almost certainly be run to better suit a handful of the others.

The speed fractions might not be an advantage to a horse like He's Remarkable. "This horse is ready to run 2400m right now.

"He's going to have to go back from his draw [No13]. We know there are a number of horses in the race that can sit handy and then run home in fast sectionals [times]. That's going to make him vulnerable."

James paid $360,000 for the Pentire colt as a yearling and from three starts so far has won races over 1300m at Taupo and 1600m at Te Rapa on October 25. Both were stunning affairs.

"I've got huge respect for the horse, but I swear he's ready to run 2400m right now.

"But he's a colt with a pedigree. It's a group one race and it's worth plenty of money - he has to run."

James says he has respect for any number of the runners.

"You've got Jimmy Choux, Cellarmaster, Steven McKee's horse [Hammer Down] and Murray's two fillies: Twilight Savings and We Can Say It Now.

"We Can Say It Now looks incredible and she's more of a sprinter-miler than we are."

Hammer Down, until now short on ringcraft, looked like he'd taken a giant step forward in that area when he won untested by four lengths at Rotorua last start.

It appears Steven McKee hasn't even begun tapping the Hammer Down talent and although having to make a giant step up in class, he looks capable of surprising a few.

You can forgive Cellarmaster's sixth placing in the wet on Wellington Guineas Day.

Like a lot that day, he simply couldn't get through the testing track, but he needed to have that race to be fit enough for this.

Cellarmaster hasn't had a lot of luck this preparation as his - 346 formline tells you - but he's more than capable of turning that around on a firm surface.

A knee issue, although not serious, cost Jimmy Choux the opportunity to go into this race with a proper lead-up run. His last appearance was winning the Hawkes Bay Guineas on October 2.

"Going into this without a race in five weeks does concern me, especially when going up to 1600m for the first time," said trainer John Bary.

"In our favour is that we have a good jockey [Jonathan Riddell] and a good draw [No4], both of which will be important.

"We've done everything possible to have him ready. Having the good draw and racing up in the first four or five does take a lot of the luck factor out of it."