A Total of 10 Wins in Four Days

Te Akau Racing experienced a purple patch of form with 10 wins in four days, across their three stables at Matamata, Riccarton, and Cranbourne (Victoria) - with nine of those wins coming in 48 hours - and the half century being reached in New Zealand!

Champion Trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson kept alive an unbeaten six-year streak for the stable when winning their 16th Training Premiership title in the 2024/25 season, recording 131 wins and a new record of $9.27 million in prize money, and lead again with 50 wins through the first quarter of this season.

Walker bookended the 10 wins with Golden Pulse (2 g Tivaci – Gold Fever, by Savabeel), a half-brother to Champion Two-Year-Old La Dorada (Super Seth), winning on debut in the A$42,500 Johns Lyng Group Maiden 2YO 1147 metres on 4 December at Geelong (Victoria) - Royal Rendezvous (3 g Royal Meeting – Alana’s Party, by Exceed and Excel), a half-brother to four time stakes' winning stable-mate Bellatrix Star (Star Witness), then staged a terrific performance on debut in the A$42,500 Tobin Brothers Maiden 3YO 1000 metres on Sunday at Werribee (Victoria).

Te Akau Assistant trainer Hunter Durrant, who manages the stable at Riccarton, had a great day there on Friday, with wins by Hello Bess (3 f Hello Youmzain – Niamh Elizabeth, by Per Incanto) on debut in the $25,000 Happy Birthday Karen Maiden 1200 metres; High Roller (4 g Ace High – Miss Thorn, by Thorn Park) in the $25,000 EDR Contracting Maiden 1600 metres, and Cognoscenti (4 g Castelvecchio – Irish Goodbye, by Fasnet Rock) who scored stylishly in the $40,000 Syncroflex Rating 65 1600 metres.

On Saturday at Pukekohe, last start winner Sibling Rivalry (3 f Satono Aladdin – Justlikeyasister, by Gold Centre) stepped up with aplomb in the $55,000 Yourride Rating 65 1200 metres, and beautifully-related Altari (4 g Savabeel – Bohemian Lily, by O’Reilly) resumed with victory in the $55,000 Myracehorse Rating 65 1500 metres.

Quality Sunday racing, which is now cemented in the racing calendar, saw the team at Te Aroha, where Lara Antipova (2 f Russian Revolution – Artistic Lass, by Myboycharlie) bolted in on debut by eight and a half lengths in the $18,500 Manco Maiden 2YO 1150 metres. Stella Ma Bella (3 f Contributer – Bella Carolina, by O’Reilly), a sister to Te Akau bought and trained Group One winner and million-dollar earner Campionessa, confirmed her ability with an impressive victory in the $18,500 Shackell Electrical Maiden 3YO 1400 metres. The hat-trick coming courtesy of Drops Of God (3 f Hello Youmzain – Distinctive Lass, by Orientate) who romped in by five lengths on debut in the $18,500 Bayleys Country Maiden 1150 metres.  She is from an illustrious family including Te Akau purchased and trained Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas winner Kahma Lass.

“It was an outstanding few days of racing for us, very hard to achieve in such a competitive racing environment, and Karyn (Fenton-Ellis MNZM) and I are thrilled with the results,” said Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM.

“It’s what we all get up very early in the morning to try and achieve, but to actually do it is an absolute credit to the whole team and absolutely wonderful for our owners. 

“We won races with horses that we bought as weanlings, yearlings and from the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka; horses that were bred and raised here on the farm (Te Akau Stud); horses that we purchased at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and the Inglis Melbourne Yearling Sale, and those entrusted to us to train by breeders and owners.

“With our stable now in Melbourne, we’re doing even more legwork with inspections, making shortlists, and attending sales in both New Zealand and Australia. It all starts there, trying to buy the right horses and we put an enormous amount of emphasis on it.  We also greatly value private owners who make Te Akau their stable of choice.

“Of course, you can’t do it without the people, and to have Ben Gleeson assisting Mark (Walker) in Melbourne, Hunter Durrant overseeing Riccarton, and Sam Bergerson, Mark, and Reece Trumper running Matamata, we’re very fortunate to have such a talented and hardworking team.

“Along equally important to our success is out farm team that looks after the handling, education and spelling of horses, plus all the cattle and sheep, it’s a pretty big operation and one we can all be proud of.

“I keep telling people we don’t really hit our straps until the plough is available for use at the training centre at Matamata, and now that’s open it seems to coincide with our horses striking form. Of course, improved tracks are always a positive too.

“The horses look good, the racing team is making good decisions about placing horses in the right races, and we’re looking forward to the upcoming sales, where we’re going to buy more quality yearlings.”