James banks on trio in his hunt for a seventh NZ Derby

AUCKLAND – Roger James is synonymous with Group 1 HKJC World Pool New Zealand Derby (2,400m) success and the champion trainer will unleash a trio of high-class contenders in the Classic at Ellerslie on March 7 in search of a seventh victory in the race.

The most successful trainer in the history of the race, James triumphed with Tidal Light (1986), Roysyn (1995), Zonda (1997), Hades (1999) and Silent Achiever (2012) before forming a partnership with Robert Wellwood and prevailing again with Orchestral in 2024.

James and Wellwood are this week represented by current race favourite Autumn Glory, Road To Paris and Ariadne in the 16-horse field, which also features last-start Group 2 Avondale Guineas (2,100m) winner That’s Gold for trainer Chris Wood.

Autumn Glory impressed with victory in the Group 2 Waikato Guineas (2,000m) at Te Rapa on Feb 7 before meeting interference when charging into second place behind boom filly and fellow Yu Long ward Ohope Wins in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2,400m) at Ellerslie on Feb 21.

James and Wellwood have been pleased with the daughter of Ocean Park since her last start.

“We have now seen two things,” said Wellwood. “In the Waikato Guineas she beat the boys and, secondly, in the Oaks she showed she can definitely see a mile-and-a-half out.

“She has ticked a few boxes that probably most haven’t in the race and she has come through the Oaks in superb order.”

Road To Paris has finished second at his past two starts, most recently in the Avondale Guineas, where the Circus Maximus gelding found plenty of trouble.

According to the stewards’ report, Road To Paris “began awkwardly then being further hampered when crowded losing ground. Inclined to lay inwards under pressure in the straight shifting inwards abruptly near the 75 metres having to be corrected”.

Those incidents prompted Wellwood to declare: “Road To Paris ran second in the Avondale Guineas doing things completely wrong. He is a very high-class horse. We have always thought a lot of the horse, but he has really got to learn to do things the right way around to be winning it.”

Ariadne also had excuses when fourth in the New Zealand Oaks, where the Almanzor filly was hampered on the home turn before being beaten about five-and-a-half lengths.

“She is a horse we now know goes the mile-and-a-half,” said Wellwood. “She had a bit of interference at the top of the straight in the Oaks; had she not had that, perhaps she would have run a place.

“I would love to see an uninterrupted run for her. She certainly wouldn’t be out of it.”

Melbourne-based Kiwi jockey Michael Dee won the 2025 New Zealand Derby on Willydoit and will chase more success on Aksil for Katrina and Simon Alexander after the gelding’s lacklustre sixth in the Avondale Guineas.

“I’ve been told he was quite fresh in what was his first run over ground and he’ll have the blinkers off for the Derby, so I’m hoping he’ll be better for the experience,” said Dee.

“He looked pretty good when he won at Ellerslie the time before.”

The HKJC World Pool New Zealand Derby is carded as Race 4 on Singapore Pools’ Australia (Perth) race card on March 7 and will be run at 12.13pm (Singapore time). HKJC