A Season of Success continues ...

As the 2017/18 racing season draws to a close in New Zealand, we continue our review of Te Akau's record-breaking Group and Listed season ... 17 black type wins ... outstripping Te Akau's previous best season of 15 ...

Described as “one of the top colts of the sale” by Sir Patrick Hogan, when purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $625,000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, from the draft of Cambridge Stud, Al Hasa (2 c Exceed and Excel - Oasis Rose, by Oasis Dream) destroyed his rivals in the $50,000 Barneswood Farm Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) on New Zealand Cup Day at Riccarton.

He provided Te Akau with their sixth win the Welcome Stakes, having won it two years prior with Sassy ‘N' Smart (Smart Missile) and previously with Bespoke (Pins), Encosta Diablo (Encosta De Lago), Maroofity (Maroof), and Xbert (Bertolini).

It was a scintillating performance by Al Hasa, ridden by Opie Bosson. He put the race to bed in a few strides at the 300 metres, was low flying, before being allowed to ease over the concluding stages.

Following a spell at Te Akau Stud, two starts later, Al Hasa was again in the thick of things when coming from tenth on the corner and charging home in the fastest final 600m (34.6) for second to stable-mate Avantage (Fastnet Rock) in the Karaka Million (Listed, 1200m) at Ellerslie.

Owned by the Te Akau 2017 Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Al Hasa ended his two-year-old season with a stakes' win, two seconds, and a fourth, from four starts.

The first foal from immensely talented filly Oasis Rose (Oasis Dream), a winner on debut over 1100 metres and runner-up in the 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m), Al Hasa boasts an outstanding pedigree.

Exceed and Exceed (Danehill) is a Champion Australian sire, the most successful sire of juvenile stakes winners at stud, that stood for a service fee of $110,000. His yearlings have sold up to $1.2 million - a sire that has left over 1000 winners and 130 stakes winners.

While dam, Oasis Rose, a $260,000 yearling purchased by Cambridge Stud at the 2011 Sydney Easter Yearling Sale, was a precociously gifted talent, and matched with the stallion it is no surprise her first foal (Al Hasa) has inherited a plentiful mix of ability.

With a depth of quality pedigree, evident for six generations, a Danzig (Northern Dancer) cross in the more recent stallion lines stands out. One of the best sons of Northern Dancer, regarded as an outstanding stallion, Danzig was the first horse since 1969 to lead the American general sires list three or more consecutive times. In the bloodlines of Al Hasa, Danzig appears as the grand sire of Exceed and Excel, through Danehill, and also the grand sire of Oasis Dream - the sire of Oasis Rose - who has left 170 stakes winners.

Of Al Hasa, Sir Patrick Hogan said: “Whatever he does as a two-year-old, in my opinion he will improve on as a three-year-old.

“And, of course, with his pedigree, if he lives up to his potential then he has the makings of a fabulous stallion.”