Exaltation - NZ Season Win 100

Champion Trainer Jamie Richards became the fastest in the history of NZ racing to reach 100 wins in a season when Exaltation  (4 m Not A Single Doubt - Meleka Belle, by Iffraaj) scored in the $11,000 Rating 74 1400 metres on 28 January at Hastings.

Hamstrung last season by the stoppage to racing in his quest to chase down the national record (143), when tracking 10 ahead of target, before finishing on 101, Richards looks a dead cert to achieve it this year.

Leading all facets, Richards has already produced 23 stakes winners in NZ & Aust., surpassing 20 last season, including six Group Ones, and $4.58m prize money.

His latest two-year-old winner, On the Bubbles (Brazen Beau), made it five consecutive wins in the Karaka Million 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) for the stable while becoming the 14^thjuvenile winner this season so far.

It was fitting that Exaltation brought about the 100^thsuccess, being a half-sister to stable-mate and dual Horse of the Year Melody Belle (Commands), who will attempt to equal the all-time Group One record (13), held by mighty mare Sunline (Desert Sun), in the Thorndon Mile (Gr. 1, 1600m) on Saturday at Trentham. And it was also fitting that Melody Belle and Exaltation were both purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM, as yearlings at Karaka, and each bred by Marie Leicester.

It was a hard fought win by Exaltation, as she kept finding under rider Danielle Johnson, who brought up her 100^th for the season on stable-mate Quattro Quinta (Darci Brahma) in the Wellesley Stakes (Listed, 1000m) on 16 January at Trentham.

Commentator Tony Lee said: “That's the ton up for an amazing young trainer, Danielle (Johnson) to 108, and they beat King Farouk. She has this ability to really lift horses when being challenged.”

“It was a really nice win and great to get the milestone,” Richards said. “It's been a great season so far and hopefully we can continue the momentum.

“Results like this show that all the team are working well together. We've been able to win quite a few big races, and, with some that don't possess the same ability as the top horses, we've been able to place them where they can win too.

“It's fair to say that a majority of our winners have been bought by Dave (Ellis) at the sales, which helps make our stable so successful and we can't thank him enough for what he does for us and the New Zealand racing industry as a whole.

“He's been strong again buying yearlings at Karaka this week and we've come home with 39 really nice young horses that we look forward to breaking-in and getting them into training.

“But, the biggest thing to enable this to happen is the support of our owners and the amount of hard work our staff continue to put in.”

Hotly supported ($2.00), Exaltation recorded her third win from seven starts for Te Akau 2018 Fabulous Fillies Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM). She had resumed running home in equal fastest last 600m (33.7) on the day for second in the Rating 74 1200 metres on 16 December at Pukekohe, and notable finishing third in the corresponding event on 7 January at Ruakaka.

It also continued a good association on the course by Exaltation, after she ran the fastest last 600m (34.3) on the day with an unbelievable burst to win last February at Hastings.

“It couldn't have worked out any better than to win the 100^thrace for the season with Melody Belle's half-sister,” said David Ellis.

“It's been an incredible effort by the whole team, from the farm staff here at Te Akau Stud who break-in all our yearlings and look after all the spellers, to all the stable staff and track riders at Matamata, and I can't leave out our administration staff who do such a huge job with the owner communications, wages, and paperwork for all the syndicated horses. It takes a big team effort of people working hard and doing their best, and I'm immensely proud of them all.

“Jamie (Richards) has been very patient with his handling of Exaltation. She's always shown ability, continued to mature, and I think she can measure up at black type level. She's already produced a couple of huge efforts to win.

“The other filly I bought in the same syndicate was Festivity (I Am Invincible). She's won four from six, probably should just about be unbeaten, and was very unlucky not to run in the money last Saturday night at Ellerslie, in the Concorde Handicap (Gr. 3, 1200m) that we won with Entriviere (Tavistock).

“It was pretty exciting to have Danielle (Johnson) ride our 100^thwinner for the season, too. Her strike rate in the tangerine is breathtaking.”

Exaltation was strapped by Katija Cherrie.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz