4 Win Thursday - Beau You Beauty

Resuming in the best possible fashion, Beau Brummell (4 g Embellish – Fashion Forward, by Pentire) took out the $17,000 Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Rating 75 1600 metres on 29 May at Riccarton - making it a winning treble on the day for the stable.

Having won in a freshened state when coming from last to win over 1600 metres in January at Riccarton, Beau Brummell ran home fine to finish on terms when trialling on 20 May at Ashburton, and although three of his previous four wins had been recorded on the turf at Riccarton, he also displayed his ability to let-down on the poly-track. 

Ridden by Rohan Mudhoo, who is instrumental in riding track work and trials for the Te Akau at the Riccarton stables, Beau Brummell appeared to be in an ideal midfield position as the leaders wrestled each other, and angling clear at the 300m he roared home to win by one length.

It was also a good effort for third by stable-mate Alminette (Burgundy), who travelled in sixth, and extended her record to a win and four thirds from five starts on the poly-track.

The win by Beau Brummell rounded out a very good day for trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, along with assistant trainer Hunter Durrant who looks after the team at Riccarton, following wins by Corps D’Elite and Porcia Catonis, while also notching four placed efforts, including three runners-up.

Three victories on the eight-race programme took their total to 27 on the poly-track at Riccarton, in just their second season training in partnership, while leading the Trainers' Premiership and looking to defend their Champion Trainers title from last season.

“It was a really good fresh-up performance to win like that,” Walker said.

“He’s a horse that has got better and better as he’s got older, like a lot of the stock by Embellish, and it was a good, solid, win.

“It looks as though he’ll be in for a good winter on the poly-track down there at Riccarton.”

Beau Brummell paid a whopping $17.10 & $3.70 on the NZ TAB tote, and ran 1600 metres in 1:35.6. 

He was bred and raced by David Ellis CNZM and Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM, and Waikato Thoroughbred Racing board director Glenn Holmes and his wife Catherine Holmes.

Ellis purchased sire Embellish (Savabeel) as a yearling at Karaka, and the Group One NZ 2000 Guineas' winner stands at Cambridge Stud, where his oldest progeny are four-year-olds.

Walker & Bergerson clearly lead the way when it comes to training the stock of Embellish, having had seven individual winners of 17 races, including South Island Champion Three-Year-Old Talisker, who recorded a hat-trick of wins before finishing second in the Group One NZ 2000 Guineas, along with Listed Kaimai Stakes' winner and Group 2 Waikato Guineas' placed What You Wish For. 

Beau Brummell leads the way with five wins, while Talisker and What You Wish For have each won four. 

“He’s made a great start to his stallion career, Embellish, with winners in New Zealand and Australia, and this bloke (Beau Brummell) is certainly proving his worth,” Ellis said.

“He’s got a good style of racing, with the ability to finish his races off strongly, and I’m pleased for Rohan (Mudhoo) to be rewarded for the work he does for us. 

“It’s great to race the horse with Glenn and Cathie (Holmes). They’re wonderful friends and really good supporters of the stable.”

Beau Brummell is from an unraced mare by high-quality sire Pentire (Be My Guest), while his second dam Maire Claire, by multiple Champion Stallion O’Reilly, was a very consistent and talented grey mare, winning six times from 1300m – 1600m. Her wins included the Listed Kelt Memorial (1400m) and and she was stakes' placed four times including second to Penny Gem (Pentire) in the Group One Captain Cook Stakes (1600m). 

Beau Brummell was strapped by Rhiannon Smith. 

Photo credit - Ajay Berry - www.raceimages.co.nz