Kingsclere Stables

08/11/2025

1️⃣2️⃣ A quinella for our girls in the third from Pukekohe. Ariadne gets the win over Dance The Night.

Congratulations to the winning owners Ron and Fran Dixon and thanks to Masa Hashizume for the winning ride.

Also a quinella for Cambridge Stud’s Almanzor.

07/11/2025

ROAD TO THE DERBY FOR PARIS

Cambridge trainer Roger James is already the most successful trainer in the history of the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) with six wins to his credit, and on Thursday he and training partner Robert Wellwood unveiled another Classic type when Road To Paris swept to victory at Avondale.

The three-year-old son of Circus Maximus relished the step up to 1400m when winning the Funtime Catering Maiden after finishing seventh over 1200m on debut at Ellerslie in October.

“We said at the end of his two-year-old preparation that we thought he was potentially a Derby horse for next year,” James said.

“We weren't disappointed by the first run at all. We thought he might have to go a mile before he broke maiden ranks, but he was quite impressive at Avondale. He ran a good time and won by a good margin and there was quite a margin back to the third horse.

“He's still feeling his way and he's got a lot of upside. He relaxes beautifully, breathes beautifully and he trotted up this morning nice and free.”

Road To Paris is now likely to step into Group company as he extends in distance.

“He surprised us yesterday, very pleasantly, so the Derby is certainly firmly in the back of our minds,” James said.

“He's probably the sort of horse that won't take a lot of runs, but having said that if all goes well, we will step him up to a mile next start at Otaki in the Gr. 3 Wellington Stakes (1600) on November 30.

“That gives him a nice break until then, and then he'll progress quietly from there. He’s a quality animal and we are lucky to have him.”

Bred and raced by Ron and Judi Wanless, Road To Paris is out of the four-time winning Savabeel mare Spirit Of Heaven, who is a three-quarter sister to Gr.1 Schweppes Oaks (2000m) winner Lights Of Heaven.

Road To Paris is by Windsor Park Stud’s promising young sire Circus Maximus, a triple Group One winning European miler by Galileo.

“Ron and Judi are quite involved in New Zealand and have a number of broodmares over here and we have always had an association with them, we buy the odd one for them,” James said.

“They breed to race and this guy was just one that they sent us last year and Ron's got a philosophy that if they're not up to Group company in New Zealand, he'll take them to Queensland, where he lives.

“But you would think this one would stay. We had a horse last year in Oceana Dream who went to the Derby as second or third favourite for them after placing in the Avondale Guineas (Gr.2, 2100m).

“Unfortunately he choked down at about the 600m and didn't take another breath and dropped out.

“We thought he was a big hope and things didn't go right. We’d love to win a major for them and hopefully this is the horse that can do it.” – NZ Racing Desk

📸: Impressive three-year-old Road To Paris winning at Avondale. Photo: Kenton Wright (Racing Photos)

06/11/2025

Another exciting 3yo in the stables with Road to Paris (Circus Maximus) breaking his maiden very easily, in just his second race day appearance at Avondale this afternoon.

Road to Paris is raced by his owner/breeders Rod and Judi Wanless. He was ridden to victory by in form jockey George Rooke.

Another winner for Windsor Park Stud’s exciting young sire Circus Maximus.

Congratulations to everyone involved 💥

04/11/2025

She’s a Dealer made her way back to the winners' circle today after a very pleasing performance in the Stella Artois 1400 at Ellerslie 🩵

A perfect ride by George Rooke, who rode the filly quietly until the 300m and then let her go to score by 1.5 lengths.

Congratulations to her ownership group which includes breeders Rich Hill Thoroughbreds as well as Mark Neill, Richard Kidd, Ian Hart & Peter Merton.

Rich Hill Stud

01/11/2025

Osteria picked up the second win of his career this afternoon, albeit on protest.

Congratulations to the Barneswood Farm Ltd team and thanks to George Rooke for the (eventually) winning ride.

31/10/2025

MARK TWAIN RULED OUT OF MELBOURNE CUP

– By Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

For the second year in a row, the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) dream has gone unfulfilled for the connections of highly talented Kiwi stayer Mark Twain.

The son of Shocking secured a golden ticket into last year’s Melbourne Cup with a stunning last-to-first performance in the Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) at Flemington in March of 2024.

However, a tendon injury ruled him out of Cup contention and put him on the sidelines for more than a year.

Mark Twain pleased his trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood in the early stages of his comeback campaign this spring, including a big second-up run for a close sixth behind Mr Brightside, Aeliana, Via Sistina, Antino and Tom Kitten in the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 13.

But the six-year-old’s subsequent appearances have resulted in an 11th placed finish in the Gr.3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m), 13th in the Gr.3 Bart Cummings (2500m), 11th in the Gr.3 Coongy Cup (2000m) and ninth in Wednesday’s Gr.3 Bendigo Cup (2400m), prompting James and Wellwood to rule him out of the Melbourne Cup on November 4.

“It’s disappointing to have a Melbourne Cup campaign not work out again this year,” James said.

“He’s always been a very quirky horse to ride on raceday, and it’s proved that way again this time in.

“His first run in Australia this time in was very good over a mile against a star-studded field at weight-for-age, but then he went up to 2500m at Flemington and raced far too keenly for his own good. That was his undoing.

“We took the blinkers off and dropped him back to 2000m for the Coongy, where he was caught three wide and had to improve around the outside from the 1200m to the 600m. It was perhaps not one of Jamie Mott’s best rides, and we couldn’t really judge him on that.

“He went into the Bendigo Cup this week in absolutely magnificent order. I’ve been over here with him for the last couple of weeks and I couldn’t fault him at all. He was in stunning condition.

“Jordan Childs gave him an 11-out-of-10 ride at Bendigo, he couldn’t have ridden him any better in that race, but then he came back in and said he felt the horse had a lot more to give and just wasn’t very generous at all. He asked if we’d tried blinkers. I don’t think it’s the time or place to be putting blinkers back on and going up to two miles in a Melbourne Cup.

“His form line is very ordinary. I have no doubt the horse can come back and perform to his best again in a future preparation. He’ll go out for a spell now, and I believe he’s probably now going to stay here in Australia for his future racing.”

Back on home soil, the stable’s dual Group One winner Orchestral contested an 1100m trial for Group and Listed performers at Pukekohe on Wednesday.

“It was a very heavy track, which she didn’t handle, but she’s bounced through it well,” James said. “I’d advise people to take no notice of the trial.

“Around the stable, I think she’s a better mare now than we’ve ever had her before. She’s often been a bit hormonal in her previous preparations, but she’s a lot better in that respect this time.

“She’s certainly a big, strong mare now and I think she’s in for an exciting season.

“We’re undecided where that campaign might begin. She could go to Counties for the fillies and mares’ race on Cup Day (Gr.2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes, 1400m), but we’ll take a few more days to work that out.”

James and Wellwood also have a team of six entered for Tauranga on Saturday, with James identifying the smart last-start maiden winner Hasstorock as the headline act.

The daughter of U S Navy Flag won by two lengths in an 1100m race at Taupo on October 10 and will contest Saturday’s Armory Standing at Mapperley Stud 3YO (1200m).

“It’s a strong field that she’s up against on Saturday, but she did win nicely last start and her work has been very good since,” James said.

“She’s probably the best of our chances on Saturday. The two maidens (Undisputed and Dida) are going well but they’ve drawn wide in their races, so we’ll decide on them in the morning.”

Mark Twain won't contest next Tuesday's Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m).
Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

27/10/2025

🎥 Roger provides an update on Mark Twain ahead of Wednesday's Bendigo Cup.

We're really proud of our little stable taking on the best in Australia.

Thanks to Aidan Rodley and the Trackside NZ crew for checking in.

Aidan Rodley caught up with Roger James, trainer of Melbourne Cup hopeful Mark Twain as he prepares to take his place in Wednesday's Bendigo Cup.

18/10/2025

ARABIAN SONGBIRD UPSTAGES TARDELLI IN CAMBRIDGE SHOWDOWN

By Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Stephen Marsh ran rampant with wins in four of the first seven races at Ellerslie on Saturday, but his hottest favourite of the day had to settle for a placing as another Cambridge stable stole the show.

The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained Arabian Songbird took flight from the back of the field to upstage Tardelli in the $65,000 Elsdon Park (1400m).

Marsh had been an unstoppable force until that point of the afternoon, winning the Gr.2 Windsor Park Stud Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) by almost seven lengths with Well Written along with undercard victories by Miss Fladgate, Swiss Prince and On The Town.

“Someone had to stop him,” Wellwood quipped. “But I have to give a big shout out to Cambridge. Today’s results are testament to the quality of training centre we work at.”

While all eyes were on Tardelli following his dominant first-up victory over the same course and distance as Saturday’s race, Arabian Songbird also boasted a one-from-one record so far this season. She stormed home to take out a 1300m Rating 75 on September 6.

The Pierro mare was sent out as a distant second favourite at $5.70 on Saturday while Tardelli jumped at $1.90. The race appeared to be following that script as Tardelli cruised to the lead with 300m to run, but then Arabian Songbird turned that on its head.

After rounding the home turn with only two horses behind her, Arabian Songbird was angled to the outside by jockey Masa Hashizume and let rip. Capitalising on her 6kg advantage at the weights, she swept past Tardelli in the final 100m and went on to win by three-quarters of a length. The favourite’s stablemate Bourbon Empress also edged him out to fill the runner-up position.

Arabian Songbird has now had 10 starts for five wins, two placings and $158,025 in stakes for owners Barneswood Farm. Four of those wins have come from only five appearances at Ellerslie.

“With the prize-money on offer here and the fantastic surface to race on, it’s a pretty good track to like,” Wellwood said.

“She was very impressive today. Masa gave her a patient ride and she showed a wonderful turn of foot.

“She’s an exciting mare and we’ve got a lot of options available to us from here. We’ll have a team talk with Barneswood Farm and come up with a plan. We could take her to Riccarton for the TAB Mile (Gr.3, 1600m), or there’s the Breeders’ Stakes (Gr.2, 1400m) at Pukekohe and even the possibility of a Group One at Trentham (TAB Mufhasa Classic, 1600m). We’ve got a lot to look forward to, wherever we end up going with her.”

Hashizume now boasts a four-from-five record with Arabian Songbird.

“She’s a fantastic mare, she’s very special,” he said. “She’s just the easiest horse to ride.

“The favourite is a good horse, but I knew he had a lot to weight to carry with 60.5kg. I knew from quite early in the straight that we were going to catch him.”

Arabian Songbird was bred by Jamieson Park and is by Pierro out of Rare Delight, which makes her a half-sister to the Group Two performer Saint Alice.

That mare raced in the tangerine and white colours of Barneswood Farm, who went back to the same well and bought Arabian Songbird for $260,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2022. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk.

📸: Arabian Songbird stormed home from the back of the field to win the Elsdon Park 1400. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

18/10/2025

🎥 Robert talks future plans for Arabian Songbird, and a shout out to WTR at Cambridge Racecourse.

18/10/2025

Wonderful to get another win at Ellerslie with Arabian Songbird taking out the Elsdon Park Handicap 1400.

Congratulations to owners Sarah Green and Ger Beemsterboer and thanks to Masa Hashizume for the winning ride.

03/10/2025

🤞🏻🤞🏻

Three Kiwi-trained contenders, one Melbourne Cup dream 🏆

Tomorrow at Flemington, three New Zealand-trained stayers will chase the ultimate prize, a Golden Ticket into the Gr.1 Lexus Melbourne Cup when they line up in the Gr.3 Bart Cummings.

Mark Twain – Prepared by Roger James & Robert Wellwood of Kingsclere Stables, the son of 2009 Cup hero Shocking carries the bloodlines of a champion.

Mister Wolfgang (Wolfgang) – The Peter & Shaun McKay Racing -trained stayer stamped his staying credentials with victory in the Gr.3 Wellington Cup earlier this year, proving he thrives over the longer distances.

Trav – The durable stayer from Raymond Connors’ stable, who claimed the Gr.2 Auckland Cup, adds further Kiwi firepower to the line-up, partnered by jockey Masa Hashizume.

With a coveted Cup berth on the line, all eyes will be on Flemington to see if one of these Kiwi raiders can book their place in the race that stops a nation 🇳🇿