Te Akau Ruakaka Trials' Report

Te Akau Racing trainers Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards took horses to trial on Tuesday 10 October at Ruakaka.

All six runners are two-year-olds: colts with the exception of Handsome Rebel (gelding), and apart from debut trial winner Al Hasa and another Byzantine, who trialled very well on debut, they were having their first outing.

Weather: cloudy Track: Dead5 rail: out 8 metres

Heat 1 2YO 600 metres (nose, 10 lengths 35.2)

Publicist (2 c Redoute's Choice - Valadon) - Opie Bosson (main photo); began well to position outside the leader and remained on terms right to the line as they raced clear of their rivals.

He was purchased by David Ellis in January this year at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Highgrove Stud, for $560,000, and owned by the Te Akau 2017 Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis).  Previous breeding syndicates have unearthed Darci Brahma (Danehill), Rock ‘N' Pop (Fastnet Rock), Burgundy (Redoute's Choice), Xtravagant (Pentire), and Heroic Valour (Fastnet Rock).

Ellis said: “He is a beautifully balanced colt, correct, good walking, and he looks a natural two-year-old type. He is from a very successful mare that has already left three stakes performers; she was a winner herself as a two-year-old and from a really top international family. We think he has the precocity to race at two and train on to run in a 2000 Guineas.”

By the undisputed king of Australian sires, Redoute's Choice, a son of the most successful sire of all time in Danehill (Danzig), his dam sire, Woodman (Mr. Prospector), who left 109 stakes winners, has also left more than one-hundred stakes winners as a broodmare sire.  Publicist holds a nomination for the $3.5m Golden Slipper (Gr. 1, 1200m) in March next year at Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney.

Heat 2 2YO 600 metres (2 ½ lengths, 3 lengths 36.2)

Handsome Rebel (2 g Denman - London Rebel) - Opie Bosson; was posted three wide on the pace, from the outside gate, and did very well to sustain his run for second.

Bought for $65,000 by David Ellis from the draft of Element Hill at the 2017 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, he is owned by the Fortuna Handsome Rebel Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin).

By Group One winning stallion Denman (Lonhro), he is the first foal from Fastnet Rock (Danehill) mare London Rebel, from a family sporting quite a few stakes performers. He is athletic, progressed very well through this prep and holds a nomination for the $3.5m Golden Slipper (Gr. 1, 1200m) in March next year at Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney.

Heat 3 2YO 800 metres (head, 2 lengths 47.0)

In A Twinkling (2 c Fastnet Rock - Moment in Time) - Opie Bosson; got back, sixth of seven in the run, six lengths from the leader at the 600m, and tracked between runners in the straight with a strong effort for third.

Owned by the Te Akau Fastnet Moment Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis), he was purchased by David Ellis for $250,000 from the draft of Curraghmore Stud at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale.

Te Akau has had terrific success with sons of Fastnet Rock, a son of Danehill (Danzig). 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) winner Rock ‘N' Pop (Fastnet Rock) is doing a great job at Waikato Stud, and Heroic Valour became the first Group One winning two-year-old in the world for Fastnet Rock when victorious in the Diamond Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) at Ellerslie.  His dam, Moment in Time, was a dual Group Three winner, and dead-heated in a VRC St Leger, winning six times from 1400m to 2800 metres.  Ellis said: “He was a ‘must have' on our list and once again we had more for him and were delighted to get him for the price.”

Heat 4 2YO 800 metres (4 ½ lengths, 1 ¼ lengths 46.6)

Al Hasa (2 c Exceed and Excel - Oasis Rose) - Opie Bosson; tucked in behind a couple of runners approaching the home turn and clear inside the 300m he was held together in second, exuding a nice action and head carry.

Owned by the Te Akau 2017 Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Al Hasa was purchased by David Ellis for $625,000, from the draft of Cambridge Stud, at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale.   The first foal of the immensely talented filly Oasis Rose (Oasis Dream), he boasts an outstanding pedigree, carries a nomination for the $3.5m Golden Slipper (Gr. 1, 1200m) in March next year at Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney, and with patience he certainly has the makings of a two-year-old performer.

Weaponry (2 c Declaration of War - Cat Shmea) - Danielle Johnson; was caught wide and a little awkward when restrained at the 600m, but once balanced in the straight, and with his mind on the job, he hit out well when running into fifth without much pressure.

From the draft of Curraghmore Stud, he was purchased by David Ellis for $140,000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale.  He is a really good looking colt, from the first crop of a stallion that was very impressive when winning the Queen Anne Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Royal Ascot.

“Anyone who saw Declaration of War's win at Ascot would have realised what a special horse he was for trainer Aidan O'Brien, at Ballydoyle, and he went on to win one of the highest rated races in the world - the York International (Gr. 1, 2000m),” Ellis said.

“His dam, Cat Shmea, has already left a Group One winner (Velocitea) - of the Goodwood Stakes over 1200 metres in Adelaide - and the Northern Dancer cross is beautifully balanced in his pedigree.  I really liked this colt and just had to have him,” Ellis said.  Weaponry holds a nomination for the $3.5m Golden Slipper (Gr. 1, 1200m) in March next year at Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney.

Heat 5 2YO 800 metres (¾ lengths, ¾ lengths 46.5)

Byzantine (2 c Savabeel - Baradevi) - Opie Bosson; began well from barrier one to co-lead a torrid pace and with competition throughout he maintained a strong gallop for a close third, without being knocked around.

Owned by the Te Akau 2017 Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Byzantine was purchased by David Ellis for $200,000 from the draft of Little Avondale Stud at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale.

Ellis said: “He is a beautiful colt that we were exceptionally pleased to get for the price, as we had been trying to buy from this family and there is just so much class on the dam side.  He reminds us of Hall of Fame” (by Savabeel and Group One winner of the Levin Classic (1600m) for Te Akau trainers Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards).  He holds a nomination for the $3.5m Golden Slipper (Gr. 1, 1200m) in March next year at Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney.