Underwood next step for Silent Achiever

Monday 15 September 2014, 5:15pm

Silent Achiever will be out to continue New Zealand's recent domination of the Underwood Stakes when she lines up at Caulfield.

The Group One weight-for-age race has been won by New Zealand-trained horses for the past three years and the Roger James-trained mare is among the headline entries on Saturday.

Lion Tamer started the run for the Kiwis with his win in 2011 before Ocean Park and It's A Dundeel took out the next two Underwoods.

Silent Achiever, NZ's champion stayer of 2013, is the only horse among the 24 nominations for Saturday's 1800m weight-for-age feature prepared by a trainer from across the Tasman.

This year's Ranvet Stakes and BMW winner turned in an encouraging first-up fourth in the Memsie Stakes, won by Dissident.

"She's well," James said.

"She's got to get through her main piece of work tomorrow but I'm happy with her."

Silent Achiever is scheduled to head to the Underwood and Turnbull Stakes before James decides whether the mare then lines up in the Caulfield Cup or goes to the Cox Plate.

"I won't make a decision on that until late in the piece," James said.

"There's no necessity to make a decision until the last minute. By that time we've watched the opposition and seen where they might be going and how they are going. And how we are going as well.

"Then we can put it all into the cauldron and hopefully come out with the right answer."

Silent Achiever has 54.5kg in the Caulfield Cup but weights will be raised with 58kg topweight Mukhadram withdrawn from the entries at the first acceptance stage.

Weights for the Melbourne Cup are released on Tuesday.

Damien Oliver retains the ride on Silent Achiever in the Underwood.

Dissident has won the first two Group One races in Melbourne this season - the Memsie Stakes and Saturday's Makybe Diva Stakes - and has been nominated to back up in the Underwood.

Seven horses from the Chris Waller stable are among the 25 entries including Group One winners Foreteller, Hawkspur, Royal Descent and Sacred Falls.

They have also been entered in Sydney.

Foreteller closed nicely first-up for fourth in the PB Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield before his fast-finishing third in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Melbourne Cup favourite The Offer is set to make his second-up appearance in the Underwood.

– AAP

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