CO-TRAINERS JAMES AND WELLWOOD CAUGHT IN A DOUBLE PROTEST CROSSFIRE IN THE NZ DERBY

By Graham Potter | Saturday, March 7, 2026

Co-trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood had an interesting day at Ellerslie … to say the very least.

You probably couldn’t make up the situation they found themselves in after the running of the New Zealand Derby where they saddled the big race quinella with Road To Paris trumping his more fancied stable companion, the race favourite Autumn Glory by a neat length … but the owners of the runner-up questioned whether Road To Paris had got there fairly and the siren was soon sounded to signal that a protest had been lodged against the winner.

For James (who would be winning his seventh Derby) and Wellwood, the consolation of having to go into the Steward’s Room to witness the evidence being given and to comment on the concluding stages of the race in that uncomfortable situation … you would want to look after all of your owners … was that they would emerge as trainers of the Derby winner, whatever the outcome of the protest.

Or so it seemed.

But then they were faced with another twist when Kylie Hoskin, trainer of the third placed Geneva, lodged a protest of her own … against the runner-up Autumn Glory meaning that the Stewards now had two protests on their plate … second against first and third again second.

So suddenly, James and Wellwood did have something to lose. Their second place was on the line.

In the end, that was probably the least of their worries as, although Geneva appeared to be slighting inconvenienced by the Autumn Glow moving in towards his path necessitating Geneva having to shift out marginally to gain clear, late running, it was hard to argue that movement cost Geneva second place.

What happened in front of Geneva between the two James / Wellwood runners needed closer scrutiny.

Approaching the 300m mark, Autumn Glory and Road To Paris started their runs together down the centre of the track … with Autumn Glory a length ahead of Road To Paris who raced to the outside of Autumn Glory.

They remained locked together until the 150m at which stage Road To Paris took a narrow lead over his rival, but then he began to shift ground, carrying Autumn Glory inward … across the path of Geneva.

That inward movement of these two horses towards the inside running rail continued all the way to the line with Autumn Glory’s jockey Wiremu Pinn sitting up over the final few strides.

There was no question that Road to Paris and jockey George Rooke had taken Autumn Glory off a straight line, but the fact that Road Of Glory come from behind Autumn Glory and that, although she was game, it was questionable whether Autumn Glory was going well enough to regain the ascendency were obviously factors that came into play.

Both protests were dismissed.

A little over half an hour later stewards dismissed another protest … second against first … in the NZB Kiwi where Well Written kept the race leaving Belle Cheval having to settle for second place.

A busy day.