Two Illicit Makes Pleasing Return

Roger James couldn't have been happier with the return to racing of high-quality mare Two Illicit (Jimmy Choux-Gemini, by Tale of the Cat)) at Te Rapa last Saturday. The issue now, reports NZ Racing Desk, is to see if there are any autumn targets for her to chase. One of the best 3YOs last season, Two Illicit won on her return to racing as a 4YO before finishing just behind the placings in both the Gr1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) and the Gr1 Livamol Classic (2000m). However, injury kept her off the track throughout summer, and her effort to dead-heat for third in the Waikato Draught 1400 at Te Rapa was her first since the Livamol. "I wanted to run her Saturday because if I didn't get started, any autumn target was off the radar timing-wise," said James, who trains Two Illicit at Cambridge along with Robert Wellwood. "I knew that she was very much not fully fit and it was really to be treated like a trial, especially since she had 61.5kg on her back and hadn't trialled. James said he would be talking with Two Illicit's owners, headed by Brent and Cherry Taylor of Trelawney Stud, this week to decide on potential targets.

Two Illicit made a positive return to the track (pic: Trish Dunell)