Prix de l’Arc Target for Silent Achiever Post-The Championships

Kiwi mare Silent Achiever is being prepared for an international assault in France’s coveted 2015 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe after her raid on Sydney’s The Championships in the autumn.

Four-time Group 1 winner Silent Achiever will run in Sydney’s The Championships before a trip to France later this year. Photo: Race Horse Photos Australia.

The six-year-old daughter of O’Reilly is prepared in Cambridge by Roger James and has impressed her trainer with her work leading up to an autumn return this season.

Her most recent gallop was last Sunday at Ellerslie where she worked between races with Shuka.

The duo ran on a three-quarter pace over 1000m and quickened with 600m to go running the sectional in a smart 33.47 seconds with Sydney-based hoop Tommy Berry in the saddle.

“I’ve ridden her on and off over a few years and this is the strongest she has felt,” Berry told Racenet.

“She did that easily and gave me a great feel.”

James was also very happy with the run and how his mare pulled up afterwards.

“She’s very well and that work was as good as she has put in at this stage in a preparation,” he said.

“She had a tough spring in Melbourne but she coped with it and if anything is the strongest she has ever been.”

Silent Achiever hasn’t raced since her very brave third in the Group 1 Cox Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley in Melbourne on October 25 during the spring.

In that the four-time Group 1 winner was defeated just over a quarter length by the European-trained winner Adelaide after just missing out in Australasia’s weight-for-age championship.

The Cox Plate result continued a frustrating run of non-wins for the mare whose latest victory was at Rosehill Gardens last April in the Group 1 The BMW (2400m) run on a Heavy (8) Sydney track.

James is looking at another Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign with Silent Achiever who won the Group 1 New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at home last March before travelling over to narrowly take out the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.

The same two Group 1 Sydney features she contested last year could then be targets again for her in 2015 with the $500,000 Ranvet Stakes to run on March 21 and the $1.5 million The BMW a week later at the same track.

Her major assignment however will see her travel to France’s Longchamp Racecourse for The Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Sunday October 4, and having her fit and fresh for that will be the priority.

“We intend taking her to Europe so she will not have too strenuous a Sydney campaign,” James said.

“The goal is getting her to France for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October.”

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