Stakes high for Trentham rivals

Happy versus Grumpy.

Not a clash between two of the seven dwarves but a snapshot of trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood’s horses in today’s Group I Wellington Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.

Happy is the personality-plus last-start Group II Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) winner Hypnos. Grumpy is last-start Group II Tauranga Stakes (1600m) winner Concert Hall, who prefers her own company and pins her ears back and bares her teeth as a reminder.

But personalities aside, James and Wellwood couldn’t be anymore content with their pair heading into their weekend weight-forage assignments.

‘‘All we can do is be happy with what we are sending into the race and I think they have both had great preparations, they’ve had patient careers and they are both in career peak form,’’ James said.

Savabeel mare Concert Hall heads the TAB’S fixed-odds Wellington Stakes market at $3.70 ahead of Rock Onwood at $4.20, Prise De Fer at $5, Aimee’s Jewel at $6 and Hypnos at $7.

The Joan Egan-bred and raced six-year-old has won eight of her 21 starts, including last year’s Group III Cuddle Stakes (1600m) and October’s Group III Thompson Handicap (1600m), both at Trentham.

A winner of five of her 10 starts at 1600m, Concert Hall won last year’s Group III Manawatu Cup (2300m) at Awapuni and looks to have an exciting future as a stayer but James is happy to take his chances with her at 1600m again at Trentham.

Concert Hall has drawn out in barrier 11 in the 12-horse race with Hypnos set to get an economical run from barrier one just as he did in winning the Coupland’smile at Riccarton last month.

– NZ Racing Desk