4 Win Saturday - Conquering a Group 1

On the biggest day in New Zealand racing history, Te Akau Racing recorded their 100th Group One victory when Return To Conquer (2 c Snitzel – Vaujany, by Lonhro) won the $550,000 Sistema Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) on Saturday at Ellerslie.

Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM had his first Group One winner, with a horse he bought and owned, when Cosmetique (Barcas) won the 1986 Easter Handicap (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Ellerslie, and such has been their momentum that the past nine years has produced 68 Group One wins. 

“I’m very emotional,” said Ellis, immediately afterwards in the birdcage. “I never thought I’d get emotional, but for some reason I am.

“If you told me this could happen when I first got involved in horse racing, I’d have said it was impossible. But it’s now a reality.

“I won my first race as an owner in 1978 at Paeroa, 46 years ago, and won my first race here at Ellerslie in 1979.”

Ellis is a man that has invested an enormous amount of time and effort into the New Zealand Thoroughbred Industry, and last December he was honoured as an inductee into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame.

The win by Return To Conquer also provided their 401st domestic stakes victory, after What You Wish For (Embellish) accounted for their 400th, on a day (15 Feb.) that they won three stakes races at Matamata.

Te Akau has now won the Sistema Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m), formerly the Diamond Stakes, seven times, after Maroofity (Maroof) scored in 2003, and four of the previous five leading up to Sword Of State (Snitzel) in 2021.

Fittingly, with Cambridge Stud stallion Sword Of State setting stages alight in January with his first crop yearlings in Australia and New Zealand, Return To Conquer is also a son of Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) skyrocketing towards a stallion career.

Unbeaten in four starts, Return To Conquer recorded his third stakes win on end in the Matamata Slipper (Gr. 3, 1200m) on 15 February at Matamata. He had won the Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (Gr. 3, 1200m) with authority on 1 February, and rated a top three chance.

With Melbourne premiership leading jockey Blake Shinn aboard, who previously won the Sistema Stakes on Summer Passage (Snitzel) in 2017, Return To Conquer was content to settle in midfield, eased clear turning for home, led 200m, and searching for the line had a head to spare over Landlock (Merchant Navy). 

“The blinkers were put on today to encourage him to put a field away, but he gets there (front) and thinks his job is done,” Shinn said. “But he rallied hard when he saw the second horse come to him.

“He’s a very talented two-year-old, unbeaten. He’s had a long prep and he’s probably ready for a reset now, but to end the prep with a Group One is pretty special, and the 100th (Group One) for Te Akau, it’s great to be here today.

“It’s really satisfying. I’ve built up a great relationship with David Ellis and the whole Te Akau group. I’ve come over in recent months, put in a bit of work with the team, and that was the decision to come here.

“I rode Return To Conquer a few months ago, knew his ability before he had his first start, and to come here and win a Group One, and the 100th for David Ellis. He’s a master at buying horses and I’m just privileged to be on board one of the better ones, today.

“David Ellis, what’s he’s created at Te Akau, it’s a worldwide business and he’s one of the best judges in the game.”

With a view to possibly contesting the $5m Golden Slipper (Gr. 1, 1200m) on Saturday 22 March at Rosehill, Shinn added: “Mark (Walker) will be the best judge of that.

“He’s had a long prep. I think the horse is better than what he’s shown here today, but Mark will be the best guide. It’s two weeks until the race. He’s a very good horse and I think he’ll train on, but we’ll let Mark be the judge because he’s trained more Group One winners than me.”

On Soft5 footing, Return To Conquer ran 1200 metres in 1:11.4, last 600m in 35.2 (approx.) and as race favourite paid $1.70 & $1.20 on the NZ TAB tote.

“That’s the 100th Group One for the stable since Dave (Ellis) established it, so full credit to team leader. He’s bought many, many, a horse, and even this bloke, to spend $1.3m without any owners. It just shows – who else does that?

“It looked to be quite smooth sailing until the last 100 metres, but watching it live is always difficult. You’d have to go back and analyse things, but great for Blake (Shinn).

“We never make decisions on race day,” said Walker, in regards to the Golden Slipper. “We’ll let the dust settle and see how he trots out on Monday, and work it out from there.

“He’s still a young horse, still growing and still developing.

“He’s got a great temperament. He’s bomb-proof and unbeaten for a reason, he’s got that will to win.”

Owned by Te Akau 2024 Stallion Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Return To Conquer was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $1.3m at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Blue Gum Farm.

By the four-time Champion Sire in Australia, Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice), who serves so well the trilogy of Danehill – Redoute’s Choice – Snitzel, the dam sire, Lonhro (Octagonal), was Champion Three-Year-Old, Champion Miler, Horse of the Year, and simply an outstanding Australian racehorse that won 11 Group Ones. 

The dam of Return To Conquer, Vaujany, although unraced, is a three-quarter sister to six-time Australian sprint winner Andermatt (Snitzel), who stakes placed on three occasions, while grand-dam Portillo, by sensationally fast juvenile Red Ransom (Roberto), won the Surround Stakes (Gr. 2, 1400m) and finished runner-up in the Flight Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) as a three-year-old filly, while winning three times to 1400 metres, and she left five individual winners of 12 races.

Return To Conquer has a Danzig (Northern Dancer) cross on the sire line of Snitzel and dam line of Vaujany. 

Return To Conquer was strapped by Kohen Collett. 

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz