9 Wins in 48 Hrs - She Drops Them

From an illustrious family including Te Akau bought and trained Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas winner Kahma Lass (Darci Brahma), Drops Of God (3 f Hello Youmzain – Distinctive Lass, by Orientate) romped in on debut in the $18,500 Bayleys Country Maiden 1150 metres on 7 December at Te Aroha - becoming Te Akau's eighth 

Held together on the bridle for fourth in a trial on 14 November at Avondale, when ridden by Chad Ormsby, Drops Of Gold was ideally drawn (2) to race well first-up.

Away well to contest a competitive pace for jockey Vinnie Colgan, who recorded three wins on the programme, Drops Of God travelled on an even keel inside the 600m, cornered well into the straight, and shot away to score easing down by five and a half lengths. 

“She trialled up well and flew the gates, and even after leading up I had a lot of horse and she was able to give a nice sprint in the straight and ran through the line very strongly,” Colgan said. 

On Good3 footing, Drops Of God ran 1150 metres in 1:06.1, last 600m in 33.8, and paid $7.00 & $2.50 on the NZ TAB tote. 

“It was a really good win by the filly on debut and great to get another promising winner for Greg Tomlinson (Nearco Stud),” said Mark Walker, training partner with Sam Bergerson, after Drops Of God notched their eighth win in three days. 

“She had been a bit difficult at the barriers and the whole team has done a wonderful job with her. 

“Like all the progeny of Hello Youmzain, they’re just getting better and better with time, and that win will certainly lead the way to bigger assignments.”

A Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion, Hello Youmzain (Kodiac) carried their yellow & black chequered colours to victory in the prestigious Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot.

An extremely well-bred colt on the Danehill (Danzig) sire line, out of a Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) mare, Hello Youmzain won two Group One sprint races on his way to becoming a leading European sprinter.

Retired to stud in 2021, Hello Youmzain has produced 92 individual winners including seven stakes’ winners. 

The family is very well known to Te Akau, through the deeds of Kahma Lass, Wairau Cove and Distinctive Darci, all sired by Darci Brahma.

David Ellis CNZM first purchased Distinctive Darci, a smart four-length trial winner on debut at Te Aroha, who then transferred to Mark Walker in Singapore, winning 11 races, including a Group Two, and over NZ$1 million in prize money. 

He then bought Kahma Lass, a Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas winner and subsequent stakes' winner at Caulfield, while Te Akau also trained three-time winner and Group Three placed Wairau Cove. 

Her dam Distinctive Lass has also left Kuro (Denman), winner of five stakes' races in a total of eight wins, and Southern Lad (Ocean Park) also won seven in Australia while overall Distinctive Lass has produced 10 individual winners of 37 races. 

In addition, Ellis purchased five-time Group One winner and Champion Sire Darci Brahma (Danehill) as a yearling at Karaka, and the mating with Distinctive Lass has worked extraordinarily well.  Darci Brahma went on to be named Champion 2YO, Champion 3YO and Champion Sprinter/Miler as a 4YO.

Her fourth dam Special (Habituate), won 10 races including three Group One, all at Flemington: Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m), Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) and the Group 1 Gadsden Stakes (1200m). At stud, Special produced 14 foals, 10 raced and nine were winners.

A total of 13 stakes' winners and eight stakes' placed performers descend from Sal II (Sallust), the dam of Special.

Now 21-years-old, Distinctive Lass has a beautiful colt by Super Seth (Dundeel) entered in the Karaka 2026 Book 1 Sale, and she is back in foal to Super Seth. 

Drops Of God was strapped by Rhiannon Smith.

Photo credit - Kenton Wright -www.raceimages.co.nz