A Season of Success

In the 2017/18 New Zealand racing season that draws to a close - we will look back with great pride at Te Akau's record breaking season in terms of Group and Listed wins.

Te Akau recorded 17 wins at the elite level this season, with five Group 1 victories.  This eclipsed our best season of 15 - and is testament to our wonderful team - from the horses bought by David, and others entrusted to us by their owners - to our owners, our trainers, our stable and farm teams and our riders ...

Join us over July as we look back on the past 11 months with pride ...

GINGERNUTS

As it currently stands, triple Group One winner Gingernuts (4 g Iffraaj - Double Elle, by Generous), purchased by David Ellis for $42,500 has banked $1.27 million.

Having won the Avondale Guineas (Gr. 2, 2100m), New Zealand Derby (Gr. 1, 2400m) and Rosehill Guineas (Gr. 1, 2000m) as a three-year-old - named a finalist for Champion Three-Year-Old, Champion Stayer, and Horse of the Year - the athletic chestnut returned as a four-year-old to win the $200,000 Windsor Park Plate (Gr. 1, 1600m) at his second start following a spell.

As it happened, his subsequent run for second in the Livamol Classic (Gr. 1, 2040m) was his last race. In Melbourne, for the Emirates Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m), on 11 November at Flemington, Gingernuts had the misfortune of going amiss when cantering to the start in a freakish accident that curtailed what was building as a very exciting season ahead.

Convalescing after fracturing his pastern, Gingernuts is spelling at Te Akau Stud and due an X-ray in mid-August to determine the progress. His owners in the Te Akau Gingernuts Syndicate will be hoping for the best, as indeed will everyone that has loved his exploits on the racetrack.

His win in the Windsor Park Plate was the first for trainers Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards in a record season of 17 stakes wins for Te Akau Racing.

Tenth in running, tracking second favourite Kawi (Savabeel) in the three wide line, rider Opie Bosson was aware the outside going was favourable on Slow9 footing and after sustaining a big run Gingernuts won narrowly but well. While stepping to 1600 metres was a key component in the win, it was also a super ride by Bosson.

His dam, Double Elle, recorded four of her five wins on slow footing in Australia, from 1200m to 1800m, and interestingly both she and Gingernuts recorded their first wins in the month of May. Such traits can often be seen coinciding between dam and their progeny.

Carrying a cross of Northern Dancer (Nearctic), one of the most successful sires of the 20^th century and winner of both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 1964, Gingernuts is by Iffraaj (Zafonic), named Champion 3YO Sire in New Zealand, from a mare by Generous (Caerleon) who won the Epsom and Irish Derbies in 1991. And it seems fair to say that in appearance Gingernuts has quite a few similarities to the chestnut stallion Generous.

Double Elle has now left four individual winners of 15 races.

Bred by Goodwood Stud, Te Akau principal David Ellis purchased Gingernuts for $42,500 at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, from the draft of Stainley Park.