4 Win Saturday - La Dorada Strikes Gold

It was yet another four-win Saturday for Team Te Akau owners ... starting with the debut by the daughter of a filly we rated so highly during her career ...

Overcoming a tough run, La Dorada (2 f Super Seth – Gold Fever, by Savabeel) recorded a dominant debut victory in the $40,000 Hallmark Stud 2YO 1100 metres on Saturday at Te Rapa.

Second and first respectively in two trials before racing, most recently when gaining an upper-hand over the concluding stages to win on 29 October at Waipa, La Dorada was handily drawn and rated a top three chance.

Although jumping from barrier four, La Dorada was a victim of circumstance when caught three wide inside the 800m, before dropping in for reprieve behind the two leaders by the 600m, and after challenging in a line of four turning for home she displayed plenty of tenacity to see off and draw away from her rivals.

It was a terrific first-up performance by a well bred filly, showing toughness and resolve that should stand by her throughout a racing career.

On Good4 footing, La Dorada ran 1100 metres in 1:05.6 and paid $2.70 & $1.80 on the NZ TAB tote.

“She certainly didn’t have much go right for her in the running, but it ended up a lovely win and she showed her class,” said Mark Walker, who trains with Sam Bergerson.

“I thought she did very well to keep going through the gap when squeezed up between runners in straight. That’s a really good sign for a two-year-old, especially having her first start.

“She actually motored to the line in really good style, and she’s another lovely filly that Dave (Ellis) bought as a yearling off Waikato Stud.

“We believe Super Seth is a sire on the up and up and we hold his progeny in high regard. 

“For La Dorada, it’s all systems go towards black type races and, of course, contesting the Karaka Million 2YO in January.

“We’ll give her a week off and we’ll then set about plans for upcoming races.”

Te Akau has first-hand knowledge of the family, with David Ellis CNZM having bought the dam Gold Fever as a yearling for $110,000, from the draft of Sledmere Stud, at the 2016 Gold Coast Yearling Sale – and she carries the Waikato Stud brand.

Gold Fever made a made a perfect start to her racing career with a dominant three and a half length win and became a finalist for Champion Two-Year-Old and Horse of the Year following her victory in the Group 2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes 1200m and placing in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes 1200m.

In a brief career, Gold Fever won three of her six starts, while finishing third in the others, and being by eight-time Champion Sire Savabeel (Zabeel) she has the best possible chance of making it as a broodmare.

Super Seth made a fantastic impact as a three-year-old colt, especially when ‘coming from nowhere’ to beat race favourite Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) in the Caulfield Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m). 

By sire of sires High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells), Super Seth is a son of six-time Group One winner Dundeel, a very good sire in Australia, with 62 stakes wins including 13 Group One. 

With his oldest crop only three-year-olds, the progeny of Super Seth have impressed trainers as horses with great natural strength and talent. 

At the time of purchase, Ellis said: “She’s a really strong filly by Super Seth, who is certainly making a name for himself with first crop two-year-olds showing some real ability on the race tracks.

“Super Seth was a colt that had an incredible turn of foot and the mating with such a talented filly in Gold Fever is very exciting. 

“Super Seth is putting a lot of strength into his progeny and this filly has oodles of it and bred to be a real two-year-old type.”

Grand-dam Gold Rocks (Oratorio) not only had Gold Fever win the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m), but also her half-sister Gold Rush (So You Think) won it too, while Te Akau has won the race nine times, most recently in 2024 with Captured By Love (Written Tycoon).

La Dorada carries a cross of Champion Sire Zabeel (Sir Tristram) on the dam line of grand sire Dundeel (High Chaparral) and sire line of Gold Fever. 

La Dorada was strapped by Murala Mallesh

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz