ABOUT TE AKAU RACING
Te Akau Racing is not just a name, a brand, a racing entity, it’s so much more than that..
It is a legacy that’s been crafted over four decades, by passionate and talented humans and horses. Today it spans across the lush landscapes of Te Akau, Matamata in New Zealand, Cranbourne in Melbourne and Singapore. At the helm is Te Akau's principal, David Ellis CNZM, whose unwavering commitment to the New Zealand racing industry needs little introduction.Where the winning begins is at Te Akau Stud where Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM has been uncompromising in his nurturing of the land to produce pasture second to none. Large paddocks allow all horses to run freely and develop naturally in a magnificent environment.
The property is fully utilised for raising foals and weanlings, educating yearlings, pre-training, training and spelling racehorses, as well as broodmares, alongside its successful sheep and cattle operation.
- Winner of 11 New Zealand Trainers’ Premierships
- Winner of 4 Singapore Trainers’ Premierships
- Winner of 11 New Zealand Champion Trainer of the Year titles
- Winner of 4 Singapore Champion Trainer of the Year titles
- Trained 13 Group 1 NZ 2000 & Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas’ winners in past 21 years
- Trained 7 consecutive Karaka 2YO Million winners (2017-2023)
- Only stable to train the Karaka 2YO Million & Karaka 3YO Million double (2020 & 2022)
- 98 Group 1 race successes
- Trained 8 New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year winners
- Mark Walker is approaching 1900 wins, including over 170 stakes’ wins in New Zealand, Australia and Singapore
- Te Akau has trained over 2600 domestic wins
- Te Akau has won 384 black type races domestically in New Zealand alone, 255 of those purchased or bred by David Ellis CNZM
- Te Akau has won 98 Group One races, while David Ellis CNZM has bought/bred 39 individual Group One winners of 87 Group One races.
In the past eight years Te Akau has trained 214 stakes wins, of which 67 were Group One
- Since 2017, Te Akau has won 26 stakes races in Australia, including 13 Group One
- Te Akau also provided the indomitable Gai Waterhouse with her first ever Group 1 winner - Te Akau Nick.
TE AKAU RACING STABLES
MATAMATA, NEW ZEALAND
Te Akau Racing Stables New Zealand is based at the Matamata training centre on the North Island of New Zealand. The Matamata training centre, situated at the Matamata Racecourse, offers first-class training facilities for approximately 700 horses.
This facility is home to four separate Te Akau barns on the course, with a 12-acre post-and-railed property adjacent to the Matamata track where horses can spend time in day paddocks. We own modern treadmill and horse walking machines, providing training variety and tailored regimens for each horse. Additionally, we contract a professional water treadmill partner, a pivotal component in our innovative approach to our training programme.
At the helm of our Matamata training centre is Te Akau New Zealand trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, who last season produced 169 wins, including 63 in the South Island, and $8 million in stakes money, to record the 15th premiership title for Te Akau.
Previously assistant trainer, Sam Bergerson joined Mark Walker as training partner on 1 August 2023, while stable foreman Nicole Shailer became assistant trainer.
Mark Walker, who had previously won six premierships in New Zealand and four in Singapore, and broke both prize money and winning tally records in both countries, set a New Zealand record 203 wins in 2022/23.
World-class communication with owners is the cornerstone of business for Te Akau Racing. A constant flow of emails containing written, photo, and video reports, along with a YouTube channel and the weekly editions of Te Akau TV during the Group racing season, ensures Te Akau owners receive up-to-date information at every step of a horse's career.
A highly skilled and experienced team, many with international credentials, from stable-hands and track riders to vets and farriers, provides the best possible care and attention for every horse. Not only are our horses nurtured and turned out in immaculate condition, but diligent and detailed preparation goes into setting horses for specific targets. Every horse is recognised for the individual it is, and a program is specifically designed for it.
Our Te Akau success story out of New Zealand has been second to none. Te Akau New Zealand currently holds the record for every benchmark of success in the New Zealand racing industry: wins in a season (203, formally held by Te Akau Racing at 160), Group/Listed wins in a season (36), Group One wins in a season (16), and leading prize money success for our owners ($8.25m).
Among the many elite race successes, Te Akau has also won seven consecutive Karaka 2YO Million races: Melody Belle (2017), Avantage (2018), Probabeel (2019), Cool Aza Beel (2020), On The Bubbles (2021), Dynastic (2022), and Tokyo Tycoon (2023). Probabeel completed the double, going on to win the Karaka 3YO Million, while the stable has twice won both 'Million' races on the same night (2019 and 2022).
Te Akau is a 11-time Champion Stable in New Zealand, with 79 thoroughbred awards bestowed on our horses and our humans at the New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards.
CRANBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
Te Akau Racing Australia became a reality in September 2023. Te Akau’s new state-of-the-art, purpose built stable has been constructed by the Cranbourne Turf Club, Victoria, at its world-class training centre. The Cranbourne training complex is the largest thoroughbred training facility in the southern hemisphere, with over 140 licensed trainers and over 1,400 horses in training.
Built to our high specifications, the current capacity is for 30 horses, which over 12 months will welcome 60 horses, with the aim of 80 in training from our Melbourne base in 24 months. The interest that is being shown by major Australian studs and owners in being involved with Te Akau Australia and giving us horses to train has been huge.
Government funding of almost A$5 million in 2014 saw the Cranbourne Turf Club construct new on-course stables at the centre. The state government also announced further significant funding for a world class equine hospital which will be in close proximity to Te Akau’s new stable.
The first runner for the stable was subsequent 10-time Group One winner and 2024 New Zealand Horse of the Year Imperatriz, while last season Walker also steered the Te Akau stable to win NZ$7.6 million in stakes money in Australia.
Walker won 24 races, including nine stakes wins (five Group One), and had the best Metropolitan strike rate (4.1) comprising 15 wins from 62 starts.
