Ace High mare on target for lucrative prizes
Paul Vettise • December 15th, 2025 1:39 PM
A fresh approach will be key to She’s A Dealer’s bid for higher honours during her summer preparation.
The exciting daughter of Ace High confirmed plans for two major targets when she romped to a Rating 75 victory at Te Rapa on Saturday, the fourth victory of her seven-start career.
She’s A Dealer is prepared by Roger James and Robert Wellwood for breeder Rich Hill Stud, who race the mare with Mark Neill, Richard Kidd, Ian Hart and Peter Merton.
The four-year-old will firstly aim for an appropriate success at northern headquarters on New Year’s Day.
“She’s gone to the next step, I think she has a bright future and might be a spring and autumn horse,” James said.
“I don’t know that the really hard tracks are going to be her friend, but we are planning on racing her at Ellerslie and that doesn’t get too hard, so that might really suit her.
“She’ll go to the Rich Hill Mile (Gr.2, 1600m) and then hopefully the Aotearoa Classic (Gr.3, 1600m).”
She’s A Dealer is also expected to be a major force to be reckoned with when she steps up in trip in time.
“We’re purposefully keeping her as fresh as we can, I have no doubt that her forte will be further than the mile as she proved last season,” James said.
“She is a stronger mare now, but they are worthy of races trying to keep her fresh for.”
Out of the two-time Group One-winning Pentire mare Say No More, She’s A Dealer won twice last season before crossing the Tasman.
Against older opposition, she finished runner-up over 1800m on a heavy Randwick track and was then a creditable fifth on soft ground in the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m).
Meanwhile, stablemate Cosmic Dream completed a weekend double for the stable when she was a dominant maiden winner over 1000m at Trentham.
“She was impressive and really kicked away the last bit, so I was pretty happy with her,” James said.
“She jumps and gets travelling very quickly and there’s a three-year-old race over 1200m for her at Ellerslie that we’ll look at.”
James and Wellwood purchased the daughter of Cosmic Force out of Polar Lodge’s draft for $45,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale in 2024.
She is out of the Rock Of Gibraltar mare A Little Prayer, whose half-brother Romantic Touch won an edition of the Gr.1 JJ Atkins (1600m).
