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Kingsclere Stables, 131 Abergeldie Way, Cambridge (2026)

28/05/2026

WELLWOOD SEEKING TO DOUBLE QUEENSLAND DERBY TALLY

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

The Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) will always have special meaning to Cambridge horseman Robert Wellwood, who won his first Derby in the 2022 edition of the race with Pinarello, and he is hoping to double his tally in the Classic this weekend.

Derbys were top of mind for Wellwood when he joined Derby King Roger James in a training partnership eight years ago, and he now has three to his record, with two of those coming in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) with Orchestral (2024) and Road To Paris (2026).

Wellwood will now be shooting for his fourth, while James is in search of his ninth, when Waikato Stud filly Solid Gold contests the Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

While winning a Derby with a filly is nothing new for the pair, they will have their work cut out for them from Solid Gold’s wide alley of 14.

The stable has had a frustrating run of wide draws for their contenders in Queensland this autumn, and Solid Gold continued that trend when drawing barrier 13 in the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben a fortnight ago, where she ran on well for fifth.

“She went back and her run was very good. Eagle Farm is a bigger track so that will suit her,” Wellwood said.

“We haven’t had any luck whatsoever with any of our Australian runners this autumn, but we have just got to hope for a bit of luck on Saturday.”

James is currently in Brisbane overseeing Solid Gold’s final few days, and Wellwood said he has received positive reports from his training partner.

“Roger is over there and he has been happy with her,” he said. “She worked on the course proper on Tuesday and worked nicely, it’s just the weather and barrier that is not playing our way.”

While the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) seven days later was also an exciting target, Wellwood said they chose the Derby for several reasons, particularly the extra 200m distance.

“We chose it for the extra distance, it is worth $300,000 more and when we saw her compete against the boys in the Rough Habit, and competed well, and came out of it so well, we decided to look at going to the Derby,” he said.

While a Group One assignment awaits Solid Gold this weekend, her trainers are currently weighing up the options for her stablemate Sweynesday following his two unplaced runs in Queensland in the Listed Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) and Gr.3 BRC Sprint (1350m).

“He has just had no luck with barriers either and has been caught three and four wide with no cover in both of his runs,” Wellwood said.

“Whether he has one more run there or whether he comes back and focusses on domestic targets next year is still to be decided.”

Back at home, the stable is set to line-up a quartet of runners in the coming days, and Wellwood is particularly looking forward to three-year-old gelding Dark Duke making his debut in the Gartshore Construction Maiden 1400 at Tauranga on Friday.

“Dark Duke is a nice horse and he has drawn nicely (4),” Wellwood said. “I think he is going to be better with time, but he is a horse we are looking forward to seeing step out.”

📸: Solid Gold will contest the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Photo - Kenton Wright (Race Images)

23/05/2026

Hasstobeawinner was certainly a winner today, when scoring the JRA Trophy Open Handicap 1600m event at Ellerslie 👏🏻

Second up today for a new campaign, he picked up a well deserved win for his connections who we were on course today. Delighted for all involved.

Congratulations to owners R & CM Hassall Family Trust. A perfect ride from top jock Michael McNab. 🔥

18/05/2026

PER INCANTO YOUNGSTERS CONTINUE TO SHINE

By Paul Vettise, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Little Avondale Stud’s resident stallion Per Incanto has turned back the clock this season with the farm stalwart’s younger offspring doing him proud.

The Masterton nursery enjoyed further juvenile success on Saturday when homebred youngster Incandescent triumphed in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie.

“Per Incanto has had four black-type two-year-olds this year, as we know he’s never really been known as a sire of two-year-olds except for his first crop,” Williams said.

The resident son of Street Cry has also been represented by Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) winner Eurocanto, while Oak Lightning ran second in the Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1200m) and Spellbound was third in the Listed Challenge Stakes (1100m).

Spellbound’s stablemate Incandescent had previously finished runner-up in the Listed Waikato Veterinary Equine Centre Stakes (1400m) and was sold by Little Avondale for $200,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale at Karaka.

He is the first foal of the Snitzel mare Saint Katarina, who was successful on two occasions and was a private purchase off friend Dean Harvey, of Victoria’s Baystone Farm.

“I’m trying to get another daughter of Snitzel at the moment, I’ve always liked the Snitzel cross with the Street Cry blood,” Williams said.

“Incandescent was always an athletic horse and neatly balanced with a lovely walk. He was a real workmanlike type.”

James believes there is plenty more to come from the gelding when he returns from a winter break.

“When you looked at him in the parade, you could see he is still a little immature. That was his last run, and he will come back stronger,” he said.

Saint Katarina didn’t get in foal in her first year at Little Avondale before producing Incandescent and unfortunately last year she had a stillborn c**t to Per Incanto.

She’s currently in foal to Per Incanto’s son Little Brose and therefore carrying a three-quarter brother or sister to Incandescent.

“If she has a filly, we’ll more than likely retain it. It’s the beautiful Eight Carat family and the mare will be going back to Per Incanto this year,” Williams said.

Saint Katarina is a half-sister to the Group Three winners Saint Encosta, Sheer Talent and Kittens, with more recent black type form added by sprinter Illicit Dreams, a two-time winner at Listed level.

Their fourth dam Great Klaire is a half-sister to the legendary Eight Carat.

📸: Incandescent winning the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m).
Photo - Kenton Wright (Race Images)

17/05/2026

GRINZINGER MOON CONTINUES UNBEATEN NZ RUN

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

A failed attempt to get Grinzinger Moon in foal last year is proving to be a blessing in disguise, with stakes targets now in her sights after she continued her unbeaten streak in New Zealand on Saturday.

Commencing her career in Australia, the daughter of Puissance De Lune won four consecutive races for trainer Ben Brisbourne before putting in a couple of subpar unplaced runs at the start of last winter and owner-breeder John Wheeler decided to retire her to the broodmare paddock.

Wheeler sent her over to New Zealand for her first mating, but after failing to conceive she was brought out of retirement and placed in the care of Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood.

She placed in her 1000m trial at Avondale in March before heading to Ellerslie’s midweek meeting last week where she scored by a head, giving jockey Ethan Jones his first win on New Zealand shores.

The expat English hoop was once again in the saddle on Saturday, and while they were posted three-wide for the entirety of the trip, Grinzinger Moon showed her tenacity when rallying down the home straight to run out a convincing 2-1/2 length victor.

“It was a huge effort,” James said. “She was three wide facing the breeze the whole way outside the leaders. If she had fallen in the ground at the 300m you wouldn’t have blamed her.

“She is a mare that could be worthy of sitting tight and setting for some of the better sprints in the summertime.

“The owner said that he is not solid on mating her again if she can perform, and she has certainly done that, so we might have a bit of fun in the spring.”

Grinzinger Moon is out of Redoute’s Choice mare Taqdees, a daughter of stakes performer Later Gator, and a three-quarter sister to Group Two winner Wee Nessy, Group Two performer Snapback, and Group Three performer Adios.

She has now won six of her 10 starts to date and earned more than $102,000 in prizemoney.

Her victory capped a pleasing day for the stable, which started on a bad note when they were forced to scratch race favourite Excite out of the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) following a spike in his temperature.

Incandescent avenged his stablemate when taking out the juvenile feature, and Grinzinger Moon secured a stable double with her victory later on the card, while Arwen and Cosmic Dream also pleased with their placings.

Meanwhile, across the Tasman, stablemate Solid Gold got her Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) campaign off to a pleasing start at Doomben when running fifth in the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m).

📸: Grinzinger Moon winning at Ellerslie on Saturday.
Photo - Kenton Wright (Race Images)

16/05/2026

INCANDESCENT CLAIMS STAKES HONOURS AT ELLERSLIE

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Incandescent bookended his two-year-old season with winning results for his army of owners after claiming top honours in the Listed Cloudsoft Accounting Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Raced by MyRacehorse and Ridgeport Holdings, the son of Per Incanto started his career in winning fashion when victorious over 1100m at Ellerslie in November, and he followed that with a series of minor placings, including a runner-up performance behind stablemate Excite in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa a fortnight ago.

The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained pair were the favoured runners heading into Saturday’s contest, with a Queensland campaign on the line for Excite, and while his conditioners were rapt with him in the lead-up this week, a temperature spike on race morning led to his late scratching.

“We take temperatures on race morning and to our surprise he (Excite) had an elevated temperature,” James said. “He had fed well and his temperature had been fine all week.

“Modern technology is wonderful and we were able to get a blood spun before scratching time and it indicated a mild infection of some kind. It was a hard decision to make because I was super happy with him, but I am certain we made the right one.”

With Excite out of the race, Incandescent shortened into a $2.50 favourite against his quartet of rivals, and off his work this week, James was confident of a bold showing.

The field of five couldn’t be separated in the early part of the race, with the quintet racing five abreast for the first 200m before jockey Lynsey Satherley was the first to peel back with Bella Bonita to settle at the rear of the field, with the rest following suit, leaving Royce to take up the pacemaker role.

Jockey Joe Doyle settled Incandescent into the one-one behind the Tony Pike-trained Grocer’s Girl, where his charge was able to settle through the middle stages. After balancing up when turning for home, Incandescent had the leaders in his sights and progressively wore them down, getting his nose in front with 150m to go and he held off Grocer’s Girl to win by a head, while Bella Bonita stormed home out wide to claim black-type.

“Roger said to ride him where he relaxes,” Doyle said. “They went quick early and I just allowed him to get into a nice rhythm, he came good turning in and battled hard to the line.

“Next season he is going to be a really fun horse, he will probably turn up to the big meetings and have a crack for the big money.”

James was glad his confidence was vindicated with a winning result.

“I was confident after his work on Tuesday morning, his work was very good,” James said. “It is probably a bit unusual for a Per Incanto two-year-old to be winning over a mile, but I was still confident that he would acquit himself well.

“I thought he (Doyle) summed it up really well. They slowed them up a little bit mid-race and he was a little bit strong for a few strides but all credit to the horse, he is learning as he goes and he came back to him when he needed to and gave him the energy to find the line.”

James was rapt to get the deserved stakes result for Incandescent’s large ownership group, and he said he will now head for a spell in preparation for a spring campaign.

“It is good to see so many people getting excitement from the game,” James said.

“When you looked at him parade, he is still a little immature, this will be his last run. He will come back stronger.”

📸: Incandescent winning the Listed Cloudsoft Accounting Champagne Stakes (1600m).
Photo - Kenton Wright (Race Images)

16/05/2026

Grinzinger Moon leaving her rivals in the dust at Ellerslie this afternoon… 💥💥

The dynamic duo of Ethan Jones & Grinzinger Moon make it back to back wins at headquarters. She jumped well, for a lovely soft run and kicked clear to take out the R75 1100m race by 2.5L.

Big congratulations to owner/breeder John Wheeler. We are very privileged to train this talented mare for you, who today banked win #6 from just 10 starts. Congratulations again to hard working jockey Ethan Jones. ❤️🤍

16/05/2026

Incandescent gets his black type today when taking out the Listed Champagne Stakes at Ellerslie 👏🏻

We are very lucky to have some talented juveniles on the team at present and this guy just keeps improving.

Congratulations to his large group of owners involved in the Myracehorse No.1 Syndicate and Ridgeport Holdings. Congratulations also to Little Avondale Stud for breeding this talented son of Per Incanto. A very tough ride from Joe Doyle, so a big thanks to him 🤝

15/05/2026

SOLID GOLD TO MAKE AUSTRALIAN DEBUT

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Solid Gold has had few favours this week, but trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood are pleased with the Waikato Stud filly ahead of her Australian debut in the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben on Saturday.

The Group Three-winning daughter of Savabeel undertook a marathon trip from her Cambridge base to Brisbane earlier this week, and on Wednesday she was met with the visitor’s draw of gate 17.

While disappointed in the draw, her trainers couldn’t be any happier with the way she has settled into her new surroundings at Eagle Farm, with next month’s Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) their primary objective.

“She has had a big week,” James said. “She left here on Monday night and it nearly took nine hours from stable to stable to get to Sydney. On Wednesday night it was nearly 13 hours stable to stable to get to Eagle Farm.

“Robert is over there with her and he said she has coped with everything very well and is bouncing and he is very happy with her.

“Having said that, she has drawn 17 and the track is going to be heavy, and it is the last race of the day, so she hasn’t got a lot of boxes ticked in that respect.

“It is going to make it hard, it is now more like a lead-up race to the Oaks than a race that we thought we could win.”

James has been a frequent campaigner at Queensland’s Winter Carnival throughout his career, and he said it has become logistically challenging in recent years with the lack of a direct flight from Auckland.

“I have been going there for close on 40 years and there used to be direct flights and there is not anymore, which makes it difficult,” he said.

However, he said both of his current Queensland team – Solid Gold and Sweynesday – have handled the trip with aplomb and are loving life in the warmer climes of Queensland.

“The two horses that we have over there are just legends,” James said. “They are eating and sleeping and doing what work we ask of them, and they are coping very well.”

Group One performer Sweynesday finished fifth in the Listed Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) at Gosford last week, and James was pleased with the result following a tough run.

“I thought his run was very brave and he was never closer than four wide, and he was five wide at the turn,” James said. “He had 58 kilos on his back and he just kept finding the line in a fresh-up state. He has only been beaten 1.3 lengths.

“It was a very hard run fresh-up but fortunately he has bounced through it and he will run next in the BRC Sprint (Gr.3, 1350m) next Saturday.”

Kingsclere Stables’ Queensland team could grow to three in the coming weeks if Excite once again lives up to his name in Saturday’s Listed Cloudsoft Accounting Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie.

The Wootton Bassett c**t broke through for a deserved stakes victory at Te Rapa a fortnight ago in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1400m) after placing in his first two starts before running fourth in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).

James has been pleased with his progression and said he is line to cross the Tasman to target the Gr.1 JJ Atkins (1600m) at Eagle Farm on June 13 if he lives up to his $1.70 favourite’s tag on Saturday.

“I have taken a two-year-old to Brisbane once before but not for the JJ Atkins,” James said. “He is doing everything right, he is a good-looking c**t and he has come to hand at the right time to consider that race if he is impressive tomorrow.”

Excite will be met on Saturday by Incandescent, who will be out to turn the tables on his more fancied stablemate after finishing runner-up to him in their last outing.

“Looking at the field, I would say he would be the hardest for Excite to beat. He has trained on well and his work on Tuesday morning was very good.

“Taking them off their work, there is very little between them.”

James will also head to Ellerslie with December, who will drop back from a mile to 1300m in the Kingmakers ‘Become A Principal Owner’ 1300.

“He pulled pretty hard over a mile and we have freshened him and brought him right back,” James said. “He’s too good of a horse not to go a big race, he is very consistent and 1300m in a fresh state will really suit him.”

James is also upbeat about the chances of Zivou and Arwen in the Trackside.co.nz 1100, while Grinzinger Moon impressed with her New Zealand debut win at Ellerslie last week and she will be out to replicate that result in the Hallmark Stud 1100.

“Zivou was very good last start in a stronger field and he goes into the race in good order,” James said. “He looked very good in the pre-race trot-ups this morning. He is a quality animal and he looked very well.

“You couldn’t count Arwen out but she is fresh-up and she will probably be better next start. She is too good not to run a race.

“Grinzinger Moon’s work on Wednesday morning was as good as I have seen her work. It was improved work on what we had seen prior to her last start. I am still learning about her, but on her work you would have to say she goes into the race a definite chance.”

Rounding out the stable’s Ellerslie representation will be To The Max and Cosmic Dream in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai 1300.

“I thought the draw really cost Cosmic Dream first-up at Te Rapa,” James said. “She was three-wide and the two that beat her home had cushy runs. Unfortunately, she has drawn wide again so we are reliant on an economical trip for her.

“To The Max is going to get an economical trip because he has drawn two, so that balances those two a little bit.”

📸: Solid Gold will contest the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Photo - Kenton Wright (Race Images)

07/05/2026

JONES RECORDS FIRST NZ WIN

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Expat English jockey Ethan Jones left Ellerslie a happy man on Wednesday after he recorded his first win in New Zealand aboard Grinzinger Moon.

The 22-year-old hoop moved to New Zealand at the start of the season at the behest of his good mate and fellow expat jockey George Rooke, who had made the move across to the other side of the world a year prior and was enjoying a fruitful time down under.

“George Rooke moved over here a year before me and he was very keen on me coming over here,” Jones said. “It got to the point over in the UK where I was struggling a bit to get the rides because the competition was so high, so I thought I would give it (New Zealand) a try.”

While Jones was enjoying his time in New Zealand last year, the difference in rules between New Zealand and his homeland put some hurdles in his way in getting his license.

“Where I have raced for four years in England, the apprentices over here do a three-year course, so they weren’t going to allow me to have a claim, so it was either go back to England or become a senior rider over here,” Jones said. “I ultimately made the decision to become a senior over here and work even harder.”

Jones made his New Zealand riding debut last month and he said there are a few differences in racing style to back home.

“The racing itself is a lot different to how I used to ride back in England,” he said. “The tracks are a lot sharper and smaller, and you have to be a lot more aware of what is going on around you, and the pace itself is a bit different.”

Jones has mostly been riding work for Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood, and he was rapt to bring up his first win aboard one of their runners on Wednesday.

“I am really happy it is for Roger and Rob, who have supported me since the day I arrived,” Jones said.

There was plenty of talk about Grinzinger Moon ahead of her New Zealand debut, with the four-year-old mare having previously won four of her eight starts in Australia.

“We were going in there hoping she would go a good race, we still didn’t know a lot about her,” Jones said. “I trialled her at Avondale and she went really well, especially for her first trial.

“We had a good barrier draw (5), we thought we would just jump and get into a positive position and see how we get on in the straight. She proved to be very tough yesterday and based on her form in Australia, I can’t see why she can’t keep progressing over here.”

While Jones is enjoying carving out a career in the saddle, racing wasn’t always a part of his life, with his family not having any involvement in the sport, and it was his diminutive stature and curiosity about horses that led him on a path to becoming a jockey.

“Initially it was mainly my height,” he said. “I was always a sporty person, especially at school where I was really into my football. I randomly said to my parents one day that I wanted to ride a horse and they took me to a local riding school and I fell in love with it and I progressed into racing.

“I worked for a local trainer called George Baker on the weekend to help out and once I finished secondary school I approached the British Racing School in Newmarket and I spent two years up there learning everything about racing. As soon as I finished that I moved away from home, got a job in racing and had to work hard to get my license.

“I was apprenticed to Richard Hughes and I raced over there for four years and I had 26 winners with over 300 rides.”

Still in the process of establishing himself among New Zealand’s jockey ranks, Jones is looking forward to forming new relationships with trainers around the country and he said his riding agent Sam Durrant has been a big assist early on.

“I am glad I have Sam Durrant as my manager, he speaks highly of me to owners and trainers,” Jones said. “We get on really well and everything has been going well so far.”

Jones is hoping to add to his win tally at Rotorua on Saturday where he will have two rides, including Pacheco in the Listed Campbell Infrastructure Rotorua Cup (2200m) and Dunamis in the Atkinson And Donaldson 1215.

“The three-year-old (Dunamis) has had a nice few trials,” Jones said. “We have a good draw (4), I can’t see why this horse couldn’t run a good race.

“I rode Pacheco at Te Rapa over a mile. He travelled well throughout the race and got into the home straight and made up good ground. I think the 2200m on Saturday is going to be right up his alley and hopefully he can run a competitive race.”

Jones said he is enjoying his time in New Zealand and he is looking to make the move permanent.

“I am loving my time over here,” he said. “I have a great bunch of people around me and I have made a lot of new friends. This will definitely be where I am based from now on.”

📸: Ethan Jones returns victorious aboard Grinzinger Moon at Ellerslie on Wednesday.
Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

06/05/2026

Grinzinger Moon makes her mark in NZ today winning in her first kiwi start at Ellerslie.

A quality mare who strung together 4 consecutive victories when racing in Australia, we are excited for the upcoming season with her.

Congratulations to breeder/owner John Wheeler. And another big congratulations to jockey Ethan Jones for riding his first New Zealand winner 🏆

Kingsclere Stables

28/05/2026

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