Avantage Leads Te Akau's KM Quintet

The Informant reports:

The 11th running of the Karaka Million at Ellerslie on Saturday will be unlike any other in the race's history as one stable presents a record-breaking five runners among the 14-horse field for the two-year-old dash for cash.

Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis has been a dominant figure on the Karaka buyers' bench for more than a decade, and he made his first major impact in the Million 12 months ago with $57,500 purchase Melody Belle.

This year the tangerine and blue colours of Te Akau will be carried by the unbeaten gallopers Avantage, Sword Of Osman and The Real Beel, the Listed winner Al Hasa and the promising filly Pinot Grey.

“David buys the horses, Stephen and I train them and the staff at home do an incredible job behind the scenes.”

In addition to his role as co-trainer alongside Stephen Autridge, Jamie Richards has become a valued member of Te Akau's yearling selection team. He is proud to see five of the team's purchases from last year's Karaka sale, ranging from $110,000 for The Real Beel to $625,000 for Al Hasa, make it to the Karaka Million starting gate.

“It's a big thrill for the whole team,” he said. “David buys the horses, Stephen and I train them and the staff at home do an incredible job behind the scenes. It's not an easy race to win, but we're very proud to be going into it with five strong chances.”

Avantage was the first of the Te Akau contingent to excel on the racetrack this season, winning twice at Riccarton in October by a combined margin of more than eight lengths. She returned to action earlier this month with a stylish win over the Karaka Million course and distance, comfortably beating the highly rated Spanish Whisper despite laying out in the closing stages.

That performance earned Avantage favouritism for the Karaka Million, and while Richards believes all five Te Akau runners are genuine chances, he acknowledges the significance of stable jockey Opie Bosson's decision to ride the Fastnet Rock filly.

“We left it entirely up to Opie,” he said. “I'd say that Avantage's impressive performance at Ellerslie was probably a big part of his decision, and Opie doesn't often get it wrong.

“But they're all looking very good. Avantage worked well with The Real Beel this (Tuesday) morning, while Al Hasa and Sword Of Osman galloped very nicely as well and Pinot Grey did an excellent piece of work with Melody Belle.”

Sword Of Osman, who will be ridden by Michael McNab, has had one start for one highly impressive win - a three-length romp at Awapuni late last month, beating the subsequent Trentham winner Platinum Mam'selle.

Al Hasa finished second on debut, then delivered one of the easiest wins of the two-year-old feature season so far - a six-length win in the Listed Welcome Stakes at Riccarton. He was a close-up fourth in the Gr. 3 Eclipse Stakes in his only other start. The son of Exceed and Excel will be ridden by one of the world's best jockeys, Australian Hugh Bowman.

Pinot Grey has had three starts for a five-length debut win, a fourth in the Listed Ashford Lodge Stakes and a last-start third to Avantage at Ellerslie. Cameron Lammas will take the mount on Saturday.

The Real Beel has had one start for one win, scoring by a length and a quarter at New Plymouth on December 27, and will be ridden by Danielle Johnson.