Age of Fire Caps Satisfying Week for Ellis

The Informant reports:

A packed schedule of yearling inspections may have given him little opportunity to celebrate, but Te Akau principal David Ellis has still had a week to remember.

Last Wednesday it was announced that a 50 per cent interest in this season's New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Embellish had been bought by incoming Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay. The Savabeel colt had been bought by Ellis for $775,000 as a yearling at Karaka, and his 2000 Guineas win in early November was Te Akau's sixth in the Riccarton classic.

Then at Trentham on Saturday, 2000 Guineas runner-up Age Of Fire claimed a Group One victory of his own in the Grant Plumbing Levin Classic. Ridden by stable jockey Opie Bosson, the son of Fastnet Rock outfought fillies Belle Du Nord and Savvy Coup and continued his impressive march towards the Gr. 1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby.

“It's been a busy week, but a very exciting one,” Ellis told The Informant on Monday. “We were delighted by the Embellish deal that we reached with the Lindsays.

“We were already very excited that one of our purchases and racehorses, Burgundy, now occupies Zabeel's old box at Cambridge Stud. For Embellish to join him in the box next door when he finishes his racing career is wonderful.”

Yearling inspections and daughter Julia-Rose's baby shower prevented Ellis being at Trentham for Age Of Fire's Levin Classic triumph, but he watched proudly from afar as his A$400,000 Sydney yearling purchase stepped up to the big time.

“There have been two Group One races for three-year-olds of all sexes so far this season, the 2000 Guineas and the Levin Classic, and now we've won them both,” he said.

“It's very exciting. It shows that our selection team of Jamie, myself and Mark Walker is working really well. We also use our vet Doug Black, who's been doing yearlings with me for 30 years now.

“Last but not least, it shows how well Steve (Autridge) and Jamie (Richards) are working as a partnership and with a great team around them. They've won 10 black-type races this season - more than any other stable.

“Age Of Fire is a lovely colt that we bought in Sydney, and he's really developed into an outstanding horse. He's got a full-sister in Book 1 at Karaka (Lot 172, from the draft of Hallmark Stud) - she's an absolutely beautiful filly as well. Age Of Fire should make a great stallion later on.”

The countdown to Karaka is now in full swing, with Ellis the reigning leading buyer for more than a decade. But that dominance of the Karaka buyers' bench is now being matched by Te Akau's presence in the Karaka Million twilight meeting that precedes the selling action.

The Autridge and Richards-trained Melody Belle, who was bought by Ellis at the 2016 sale, won last year's Karaka Million for owners Fortuna Syndications, while Te Akau runners Rock 'N' Pop and Spellbinder have won the Karaka 3YO Mile.

This year the Karaka 3YO Mile has been renamed the Karaka Million 3YO Classic, with its prize-money quadrupled to $1 million, and Embellish is the $3 favourite for the Ellerslie race on Saturday week.

Te Akau will also have an extraordinary contingent of five two-year-olds in the Karaka Million including the $4 favourite Avantage, who extended her unbeaten record to three from three with a smart win at Ellerslie on Sunday.

“I'd say we'll have a third of the Karaka Million field, which is obviously a pretty healthy representation,” Ellis said.

“Opie's going to ride Avantage at 54.5 kilograms. Hugh Bowman will ride Al Hasa, Pinot Grey will be ridden by Cameron Lammas and Michael McNab will be on Sword Of Osman. A rider for The Real Beel has yet to be confirmed.”

The Te Akau team sent a number of horses to Ellerslie on Monday morning to gallop on the course proper ahead of their engagements at the Karaka Million meeting. They included Sword Of Osman, Al Hasa and Embellish.

“Sword Of Osman was ridden by Opie and he galloped with Al Hasa and The Real Beel,” Ellis said. “Embellish also galloped with Our Abbadean.

“We were very happy with all of their work. We wanted to give them a look around Ellerslie and get a feel for the environment, so that when they go there on the night, they're ready to perform to their very best.”