Close Up - Te Teko Trials

Fresh from winning the premiership, with 104 wins for the season, Te Akau trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards were straight back into it when lining up a sizeable number of spring horses during the first set of trials this season on August 2 at Te Teko.

While heavy going inhibited the actions of horses that require better ground to show their best, it was also forgiving on legs in the early stages of building fitness. We reflect on a few of the runners:

Heat 1: Although struggling for traction in the ground, Hall of Fame (3 c Savabeel - Around The Clock) - M. Cameron - worked home solidly once balanced in the straight and it was a tidy performance against older horses in the fastest (1:03.9) of the three Open heats over 1040 metres.

Already an impressive winning two-year-old, when beating stable-mate Gingernuts (Iffraaj) over 1200 metres in May at Pukekohe, Hall of Fame was put aside following the victory and will concentrate on a Guineas path.

Owned by the Te Akau 24/7 Syndicate, Hall of Fame was purchased by David Ellis for $230,000 at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale of 2YOs, from the draft of Lyndhurst Farm, following a fine looking breeze up in 10.9 seconds.

Having seen his dam-sire, Galileo (Sadler's Wells), at Coolmore, in Ireland, Ellis said: “He threw completely to his mother's sire and he's the closest thing I've seen to Galileo, ever”.

Heat 2: Staying horses Zambezi Warrior (4 g Pentire - Zambezi) - M. McNab - and Imperium (5 g Encosta De Lago - Ethereal) - C. Lammas - were seen doing their best work past the line over 1040 metres.

Having won impressively over a mile and 2100 metres as a three-year-old, Zambezi Warrior had the quality to be stakes placed in the Championship Stakes (Gr. 2, 2100m) at the end of his previous campaign and shapes as an exciting prospect.

Zambezi Warrior was purchased by David Ellis for $75,000 at the 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, for the Te Akau 2014 Cups Syndicate, from the draft of Goodwood Stud.

Imperium is a massive horse, patiently handled to win twice and record three thirds from only eleven starts, and the best could be seen of him from now on - especially resuming with a rating of 65.

His dam Ethereal, from Romanee Conti (Sir Tristram), bred and owned by Sir Peter & Philip Vela and trained by Sheila Laxon, became a household name when winning the 2001 Melbourne Cup (Gr. 1, 3200m). With additional Group One wins in the Queensland Oaks (Gr. 1, 2400m), Caulfield Cup (Gr. 1, 2400m) and BMW (Gr. 1, 2400m), Ethereal amassed earnings of over $6 million with eight wins from twenty-one starts.

Furthermore, his grand-dam Romanee Conti won the Hong Kong International Cup (Gr. 1, 1800m) in 1993, on good to yielding ground, in one of five stakes victories.

David Ellis purchased Imperium for $425,000 from the Pencarrow Stud draft, before offering him as part of the Te Akau 2013 Breeding Syndicate.

Heat 3: A standout at the corresponding trials last season before winning on debut, Love Triangle (4 m Encosta De Lago - Love Diamonds) - M. Cameron - led up before being claimed by the multiple stakes winner Rasa Lila (Darci Brahma).

Maturity issues have limited her career to only three starts, but the trial indicated there is plenty to come.

Love Triangle is from one of the best families in the stud book. Her mother was a winner on debut as a two-year-old, and a sister to the stallion Viking Ruler (Danehill). Her grand-dam, Tristalove (Sir Tristram), was Head of the 1992-93 NZ 2YO Free Handicaps and Joint top filly on the 1993-94 Australasian 3YO Classification. It is the family of Diamond Like (Danehill), Lovetrista (Rock of Gibralta) and De Beers (Quest of Fame).

Bred by Sir Patrick & Justine, Lady Hogan and offered by Cambridge Stud at the 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearlings Sale, Love Triangle was purchased for $400,000 by David Ellis for John Magnier “The Boss” of Coolmore, the leading stud in Ireland.

Heat 4: Each given an easy run, off the pace, Heroic Valour (3 c Fastnet Rock - Myrrh) - M. Cameron - and Sassy ‘N' Smart (3 f Smart Missile - Panorama Ridge) - M. McNab - closed very well in centre track for second and fourth respectively over 1040 metres.

Heroic Valour provided the trainers with their fourth Group One win last season when taking out the Diamond Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) on Auckland Cup Day at Ellerslie, having won the Matamata Slipper (Listed, 1200m) at his previous start, and unbeaten in three starts is firmly in line for Champion Two-Year-Old honours.

Notably, he also provided champion sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill) with his first Group One two-year-old winner.

Heroic Valour is owned by the Te Akau 2015 Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), after being purchased by David Ellis Ellis as a yearling for $400,000 at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale, from the draft of Curraghmore Stud. From the same draft, Ellis also secured his brother for $510,000 in January this year at Karaka.

At just her second start, after winning on debut, Sassy ‘N' Smart won the Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) on New Zealand Cup Day at Riccarton, and her residual value was assured.

A day prior to the win, Arrowfield Stud bloodstock manager John Freyer said: “A filly with her pedigree, a stakes win at this stage of her career would appeal to nearly any breeding farm in the world who would love to get their hands on a stakes winner from that family”.

The filly was purchased by David Ellis for $150,000 at the Inglis Sydney Easter Sale, from the draft of Arrowfield Stud, and owned by the Te Akau Sassy ‘N' Smart Syndicate.

Both three-year-olds are on their respective Guineas trails.

Heat 7: Although all at sea in the heavy ground, Nucleonic (2 f Burgundy - Mexican Rose) - M. McNab - displayed an action with zip when finishing fourth in the fastest (36.1) of the two-year-old heats over 600 metres.

Bred by David Ellis & Greg Tomlinson (Nearco Stud), her dam, Mexican Rose (Volksraad) was champion 2YO & 3YO in Singapore, having first impressed winning two of three races in New Zealand.

Heat 8: There was plenty to like about the trial by Seirios (2 c Pierro - Irish Lights) - M. McNab - when finishing virtually on terms with the winner over 600 metres.

From the Group One winner Irish Lights (Fastnet Rock), Seirios was purchased by David Ellis for $480,000 at the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Coolmore Stud, and owned by the Te Akau 2016 Breeding Syndicate.

Irish Lights won the Thousand Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Caulfield, and five-time Group One winning sire Pierro (Lonhro) only ever ran in stakes races, winning eleven of his fourteen starts, and the unbeaten Triple Crown winner at two amassed A$4.5 million.

Heat 9: Squeezed out the back, Silver Missile (2 c Smart Missile - Ocelot) - C. Lammas - recovered well and showed good strength through the line in fourth.

By champion first season sire, by earnings, in Australia, Smart Missile (Fastnet Rock), Silver Missile was purchased by David Ellis for $140,000 at the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Arrowfield Stud, and owned by the Te Akau Silver Missile Syndicate.

Maiden 3YO 850 metres:

Play for Time (3 f Foxwedge - Procrastinate) - M. Cameron - picked up nicely late in the piece for second in heat 10.

Tiffany's Time (3 f Alamosa - Tinsel Time) - S. Weatherley - and Beaumarchais (3 g Savabeel - Almaviva) - M. McNab - both trialled well for second and third respectively in heat 11, which was the fastest (50.8) over 850 metres.

Corporate Missile (3 f Smart Missile - Corporate) - J. Fawcett - was compelling over the concluding stages to win heat 12.

Dame Margo Fonteyn (3 f High Chaparral - Dancing Forever) - J. Fawcett - won heat 13 very well, especially for a staying type filly, while the promising Wide Awake (3 g Savabeel - Kay's Awake) - M. McNab - was nicely held in third after being tightened in the straight.

Discretely Red (3 g Redwood - Scarlet Queen) - C. Lammas - received a chequered path from barrier one, but showed good resolve in working home on the inner for second in heat 14.

King Kane (3 g Showcasing - Vannista Belle) - M. McNab - showed the benefit of a break when finishing under a hold in second, heat 15.

Lucy Wyldstyle (3 f Savabeel - Lego) - C. Lammas - was caught in the worst of the ground on the inside, but was another to show further maturity when finishing fourth in heat 17.

O'Naturelle (3 f O'Reilly - Naturo) - M. McNab - had already shown her quality when winning her first trial here in May, and won heat 18 without being let go.

O'Reilly Star (3 g O'Reilly - Starbelly) - M. McNab - exuded a bit to like with his effort for third in heat 18. He has still has plenty to learn, but certainly a more developed specimen now.

3 f Redwood - Volks Princess - M. Coleman - trialled positively, in front, before finishing second in heat 19, while Ocean Rock (3 g Fastnet Rock - Ocean Pearl) - J. Fawcett - should take a heap of improvement from the trial.

Maiden 4YO & Up 1040 metres:

O'Know (4 m O'Reilly - Know All) - C. Lammas - is a big, strapping, individual from a Zabeel mare and looked really good when finishing into second under hold in heat 26.

Paradise Rock (4 g Fastnet Rock - Apple Charlotte) - C. Lammas - displayed the low head carriage of a staying prospect and rolled on nicely through the line in heat 27.

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