Two Illicit

Two-state Australian focus for Kiwi trainers James and Wellwood

Posted on May 29, 2021
in Australian Horse Racing News

Roger James and Robert Wellwood are set for a quiet Saturday on the home front with no runners in New Zealand, but the Cambridge trainers will have plenty on their plate on the other side of the Tasman. They are keeping a watchful eye on the evolving COVID-19 situation in Melbourne, where the in-form Hypnos[...]

Posted on May 4, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

New Zealand trainer Roger James is excited to be back on Australian soil for the first time in 18 months. The trans-Tasman travel bubble has allowed the Cambridge trainer to travel to Sydney with stable runner Two Illicit, and soon to be Queensland for a three-race campaign. It is Two Illicit's first trip across the[...]

Posted on May 3, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Class New Zealand gallopers Jennifer Eccles and Two Illicit furthered their preparations for upcoming Queensland Winter Carnival assignments in Australia with separate exhibition gallops during the Te Rapa racemeeting on Saturday. Last season's Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Jennifer Eccles was having her first serious hit-out off the back of a decent[...]

Posted on April 20, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Roger James couldn't have been happier with the return to racing of high-quality mare Two Illicit at Te Rapa last Saturday. The issue now is to see if there are any autumn targets for her to chase. One of the best three-year-olds last season, Two Illicit won on her return to racing as a four-year-old[...]

Posted on January 20, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Three of Australia's feature middle distance races are on the cards for classy Cambridge mare Concert Hall this autumn. The six-year-old mare has been nominated for the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 6, and she also has the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) on March 20 and the Group 1 Tancred[...]

Posted on January 6, 2021
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood are still coming down from the high of winning the Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) with Concert Hall at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, and they are now looking at international targets with the mare. The daughter of Savabeel has been in faultless form this season, winning three of[...]

Posted on October 30, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Progressive Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained stayer London Banker is primed for the Listed Ricoh Feilding Gold Cup (2100m) at Awapuni on Saturday. The patiently-handled son of Tavistock is a five-year-old but is the young buck in a field of veterans which includes the ageless 11-year-old Sampson. After two runs over a mile this campaign[...]

Posted on October 18, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Cambridge visitor Hypnos gained his second victory at stakes level the hard way when he held out the late charge of race favourite Rock On Wood to win the Group 3 Red Badge Spring Sprint (1400m) at Hastings. The Reliable Man five-year-old was Group 1 placed in the Levin Classic (1600m) as a three-year-old but[...]

Posted on October 15, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Two Illicit will be near her potent best when she races at her pet distance in Saturday's Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings, says co-trainer Robert Wellwood. Wellwood, who trains in partnership with Roger James at Cambridge, was satisfied with the Jimmy Choux four-year-old's fourth-placing in this month's Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m)[...]

Posted on October 7, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Big-race jockey Leith Innes believes Two Illicit could be the horse to help him complete the Hawke's Bay Group 1 Triple Crown. Innes has won the first two legs of Hastings' spring attraction, taking the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) on three occasions (Starcraft, 2004 and Kawi 2015 and 2016) and the Group 1 Windsor[...]

Posted on October 4, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

In a thrilling finish to the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) at Hastings it was the Jamie Richards-trained pair of Melody Belle and Avantage who produced a one-two result for their Matamata mentor. Punters had found it hard to split the two high class mares leading into the race and so it proved on[...]

Posted on October 2, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained Two Illicit has hardly put a foot wrong in her eight-start career to date, but the immensely talented four-year-old will face her toughest test to date when she contests Saturday's star-studded Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) at Hastings. Runner-up in last season's Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m),[...]

Posted on September 28, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Cambridge conditioner Roger James got what he was looking for at Ellerslie on Saturday when progressive stayers Concert Hall and London Banker performed with distinction in their first-up assignments. Group 3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) winner Concert Hall stormed home late to push eventual winner Dawn Patrol close in an open 1400m event while lightly raced[...]

Posted on September 21, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Top jockey Vinnie Colgan is feeling frustrated counting down the weeks until his return to raceday competition, but that's a far cry from his outlook on his riding future earlier this year. A couple of months after his last raceday ride at Tauranga last March, Colgan underwent an operation on an old neck injury he[...]

Posted on September 13, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

The cream rose to the top late in the day at Ellerslie when four-year-old mare Two Illicit issued a powerful statement to her spring rivals with a commanding fresh-up victory over 1400m on Saturday. A multiple stakes winner during a three-year-old campaign that culminated in a runner-up finish in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby[...]

Posted on September 10, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

A trip to Taupo to bring on the fitness of talented mares Two Illicit and Concert Hall has received a hearty tick of approval from Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood. The Kingsclere training partnership couldn't have been happier with the gallop, or the hospitality, with the pair provided with “delicious” scones, topped with[...]

Posted on August 21, 2020
in New Zealand Horse Racing News

Talented six-year-old Sherrif heads off on a journey on Saturday that could yet see him tackle the Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings on October 17. The starting point is the Colchester Engineering 1400 at Matamata, a race where the High Chaparral gelding will be confronted with a heavy track and 62kg to carry.[...]

Two-state Australian focus for Kiwi trainers James and Wellwood

New Zealand mare Two Illicit to make Australian debut

Top New Zealand mares ready for Queensland challenge

Two Illicit makes pleasing return

Australian campaign on horizon for Concert Hall

Australian targets for Concert Hall

London Banker primed for Feilding Gold Cup

Hypnos takes Hastings sprint with gritty performance

Two Illicit near peak for Classic

Innes out to round off Triple Crown

Group 1 quinella for Richards in Hawke’s Bay feature

Partnership in search of breakthrough Group 1

James pair ready for summer staying assignments

Colgan eager for raceday return

Two Illicit makes stunning return at Ellerslie

Star Kingsclere mares kick-off spring campaigns

Sherrif back in town

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