Burgundy's are Brilliant

Early in the new season, Burgundy (Redoute's Choice - Grand Echezeaux, by Zabeel) became the first to notch two stakes' wins as a sire in New Zealand, when three-year-old filly Dijon Bleu won the Gold Trail Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m) on Saturday at Hastings.

On the same day as stable star Gingernuts (Iffraaj) won the Windsor Park Plate (Gr. 1, 1600m), to record his third Group One win, Te Akau principal David Ellis said:

“It's been an exciting day for us with Burgundy siring the winner of the Gold Trail Stakes and Gingernuts winning the Group One and then Chance to Dance claiming the Listed Karaka Classic on Sunday at his first New Zealand start.

“For a long time, I've been telling everyone that listens how far Burgundy is going to go as a stallion and I've sent thirteen mares to him this year. He's a really exciting sire and quite rightly is nearly fully booked for this season.

“She (Gold Trail winner Dijon Bleu) was impressive in the last one-hundred metres and should have no trouble getting a mile. She buried them.”

Ellis purchased Burgundy as a yearling for $1.3m at the 2010 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale, from the draft of Pencarrow Stud.  The three-quarter brother to five time Group One winner and champion sire Darci Brahma, also bought by Ellis for $1.1m as a yearling at Karaka, he was trained by Te Akau to win five stakes races. His yearlings sold up to $145,000, oldest progeny have just turned three and he stands for a service fee of $7,000 at Cambridge Stud.

His first three two-year-olds to the races all won on debut, including the filly Nucleonic (ex. Mexican Rose, by Volksraad) who was bred and owned in conjunction by Ellis.

“We've got beautiful Burgundy's at home on the farm (Te Akau Stud). We've got two and three-year-olds by him, a paddock full of yearlings, and foals by him, that are all just beautiful types,” Ellis said.

“He produces horses that are very athletic, with good heads, good strong hindquarters and he's going to be a really good sire.

“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.

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