Another Te Akau Double

In 24 hours Te Akau Racing has registered four winners.  Two at Ellerslie on Boxing Day in Hall of Fame and Splurge and today Nucleonic and Foreigner.  Here is the first from today ...

Nucleonic (2 f Burgundy - Mexican Rose, by Volksraad) started the day in excellent fashion for Te Akau, winning impressively on debut over 1000 metres on 27 December at New Plymouth.

The stable had celebrated Boxing Day successes with Savabeel (Zabeel) sons Hall of Fame and Splurge at Ellerslie, and Nucleonic, bred and owned by Te Akau principal David Ellis and Greg Tomlinson (Nearco Stud), made an auspicious start to her career.

The victory gave Ellis enormous pleasure, not only to see Nucleonic win so emphatically, but also because he purchased Burgundy (Redoute's Choice) as a yearling, who has sired more individual two-year-old winners than any other stallion this season in New Zealand, and he shares ownership of the filly with a couple of good friends in David and Matt Peacocke.

“I'm over the moon,” Ellis said.

“It's one of the biggest thrills I've ever had in racing, even though it was a small race at Taranaki, I can't describe how excited I am.

“Burgundy has now had three starters for three wins, but that is just the beginning because I have some beautiful Burgundy's at home on the farm (Te Akau Stud). We've got yearlings by him, a paddock full of yearlings, and foals by him, that are all just beautiful types.

“He produces horses that are very athletic, with good heads, good strong hindquarters and he's going to be a really good sire,” said Ellis, of the five-time stakes' winner trained by Te Akau and now standing at Cambridge Stud.

Prior to the win by Nucleonic, Burgundy had sired debut winners Hard Merchandize, from Encosta De Lago mare Pride and Passion who was purchased by Ellis and trained by Te Akau, and more recently Dijon Bleu saluted on 18 December at Awapuni.

“He (Burgundy) is a horse that was easily the fastest that Te Akau ever trained and I don't think there are many trainers at Matamata that are surprised at the fact that he is leaving good horses because most of them that saw him gallop know how fast and what a good racehorse he was,” Ellis said.

“Like some of the great sires in Europe, Burgundy didn't win a Group One but he had the potential and ability to,” he said.

Starting second favourite, Nucleonic ($3.50 tote) made a swift beginning from the outside barrier in a field of seven and was soon in front on the rail for rider Michael McNab. She continued to travel on a lovely rein and, despite being joined at the 800m, had her rivals doing their best approaching the home turn and shot away to win easing down by one and three-quarter lengths.

On Good3 going in the Metro Direct Inspiration in Glass 2YO Maiden, Nucleonic ran the 1000 metres in 59.5.

“She's quick isn't she?” said McNab.

“I clicked her up at the six hundred and she went quicker, and one with the stick she went quicker again and although not overly big she's strong for her size and the stable has thought a lot of her at home, and they've done a good job - she won really well today.

“She is a really fast horse and 1200 (metres) should be her go and I think she'll pick up a couple more before she goes out.”

“I named this filly last year when we were in Europe,” said Ellis, “because I loved her as a foal and I wanted to reflect on big-timers, massive-timers, gigantic-timers, and now a nucleonic-timer”.

Her dam, Mexican Rose (Volksraad) was champion 2YO & 3YO in Singapore, having first impressed winning two of her three starts in New Zealand.

“Greg Tomlinson and I bought Mexican Rose, we've sold two O'Reilly colts out of her for good money, her weanling this year topped the weanling sale, and the mare is currently in foal to Vancouver,” Ellis said.

“David and Matt (Peacocke) are very good supporters of our stable and really good friends of mine and I'm just so thrilled to have them in this filly."

Following Melody Belle (Commands), Summer Monsoon (Stratum), and Gold Fever (Savabeel), Nucleonic became the fourth two-year-old winner this season for trainers Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards.

“She is another example of Steve & Jamie and all the team working so well together,” Ellis said.

Given a reprieve after displaying zip when fourth in a trial to subsequent dual stakes' winning filly Gift of Power (Power) in August at Te Teko, Nucleonic indicated her readiness in a recent trial win by three and a half lengths.

“She is a strong and very natural sort of two-year-old,” Richards said.

“She had a trial early on, then a bit of a let up and come back in good order.  She has always been very precocious, had a break at the farm (Te Akau Stud), strengthened and hopefully she's a Matamata Breeders' (Stakes) filly and we'll give her every chance.”

The $100,000 Matamata Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m) is set down for Saturday 25 February at Matamata, a race Te Akau has won three times previously.

Nucleonic was strapped by Wiremu Pinn.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz