Aotea Lad Makes Dream Debut

The Informant reports:

Aotea Lad bucked history with a quality debut performance in Saturday's Gr. 2 Anuka Smoker Wakefield Challenge Stakes at Trentham.

Raceday experience has traditionally been key to success in the $100,000 juvenile feature, and even since it was moved to its earlier December date in 2014, no horse had won it without a previous race start.

Aotea Lad changed all that on Saturday, leading home a first-starter trifecta with Killin and Aretha finishing second and third.

Ridden by Opie Bosson for owners the Te Akau Love Life Syndicate, Aotea Lad sat in third-last among an eight-horse field as the experienced runner She's A Lady set the pace.

Aotea Lad showed a smart turn of foot in the straight and raced to the lead, but he was challenged by Aretha out wide and Killin along the rails. The $2.20 favourite fought back and edged away from those rivals in the last 75 metres, scoring by half a length.

“He showed a really good turn of foot and got to the lead all by himself, but then a little bit of greenness kicked in,” Bosson said. “He had a look at the big screen.

“He'd had only two trials before this, so he's going to learn a lot. He's a special little horse, a little professional and I think he's got a lot ahead of him.”

By champion sire Savabeel out of the Group One-placed Volksraad mare Corsage, Aotea Lad was a $200,000 purchase at the 2018 Karaka Book 1 sale. He joins King's Ransom (2009), Kapsdan (2004) and Maroofity (2003) as Te Akau's fourth winner of the Wakefield Challenge Stakes.

Aotea Lad was a $200,000 purchase at Karaka Book 1 earlier this year by Te Akau principal David Ellis.

“Earlier in the spring he was a little bit colty, he's improved a lot since being gelded,” said Paul Richards, travelling foreman for his son Jamie.

“He's going to improve a lot from this. The trip down here and everything will be a valuable learning experience for him. He's got it all in front of him.

“He'll probably go for the Eclipse Stakes now (Ellerslie, January 1) and then on to the Karaka Million (January 26).”

Killin, by Snitzel, and the Charm Spirit filly Aretha lost no admirers with their debut performances. The Cambridge stables of Stephen Marsh (Killin) and Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman (Aretha) only entered the pair as late nominations on Wednesday morning.

Aretha was the first black-type placegetter in New Zealand for first-season Windsor Park shuttle stallion Charm Spirit.