A Grand Lad

Having Grandeur (1 c O'Reilly - Grand Echezeaux) and his half-sister by Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) arrive at the stables in the past week continues the dominance that Te Akau has had with an immediate family that includes Darci Brahma (Danehill), Saperavi (Stravinsky) and Burgundy (Redoute's Choice).

Bred by the Vela's Pencarrow Stud, Grand Echezeaux (Zabeel), firstly stemmed from a line that produced Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner Ethereal (Rhythm) to win $6 million in stakes, secondly was herself a winner of the Australian Oaks (Gr. 1, 2000m) and, thirdly, has become an incredible producer at stud.

“As an individual horse she's (Grand Echezeaux) incredibly competitive, no matter what she does,” said Mike Mulhern, at Pencarrow Stud. “She means business all the time and although she's like that she is certainly not a highly strung daughter of Zabeel. In another sense, she's very laidback. She doesn't run around much and doesn't do anything out of the ordinary, while one of the best ways to describe her is that she has a lot of presence. She's a magnificent type of mare and she has everything, just massive strength about her. She's great.

“She's (Grand Echezeaux) in great order and we're still looking to confirm which stallion she will visit this season in Australia. We've got an O'Reilly (Last Tycoon) colt out of her for the sales again this year and he's a good type.

“We just need to come up with the magical mating for this year. We left (serving) her last year because she was getting late, so as a dry mare we're all set to go over and get her bred,” said Mulhern.

“I thought he was a great buy,” said Muhern, of the O'Reilly colt, now named Grandeur, that Te Akau principal David Ellis was able to purchase for $370,000 from the draft of Pencarrow Stud this year at Karaka.

“He's a nice horse and was a lovely individual to have at the stables here before the sales. He was amazingly quiet and a really good type”.

Ellis also purchased Burgundy (Redoute's Choice) for $1.3m, whom Jason Bridgman trained to win five stakes races and was a freshman sire last season at Cambridge Stud.

“We've got mares on the farm due to foal in early August to Burgundy, and we've got quite a few mares in foal to him,” said Mulhern.

Mulhern also had some glowing comments in regard to the Encosta De Lago - Grand Echezeaux filly, owner and bred by Sir Peter Vela, entrusted to be trained at Te Akau.

“In fourteen years at the stud I thought she was one of the best fillies we've ever had, to be honest, and one of the best foals of that year,” said Mulhern.

"She's a pretty athletic type of filly. A fantastic three-year-old type and she really had a great temperament.

In house at The Oaks Stud, Cambridge, Darci Brahma (Danehill - Grand Echezeaux) has already earned $24.8 million in stud fees. Purchased by David Ellis for $1.1m, the five-time Group One winner amassed $1.2m on the track under the tutelage of trainer Mark Walker and became Champion Two and Three-Year-Old in the process.

“She's (Grand Echezeaux) a Blue Hen mare, a sensation, and you wouldn't get a better mare in NZ today, would you? And, Darci Brahma has the highest number of Group One winners per runners this year in Australasia,” said Rick Williams, the General Manager at The Oaks.

“He's a phenomenon, really, Darci Brahma and he's still only a young horse. He's fit and well, covered between 120 and 160 mares in each of seven years at stud, and currently second on the NZ sires' list. He's sensational and I don't blame David (Ellis) for continuing to buy them,” said Williams.