Eye on the Prize

Taupo Racecourse has been a happy hunting ground for young Te Akau horses learning their trade and the meeting on Friday provided another victory when Wandering Eye (3 g Commands - Adulterer, by Traditionally) led throughout in the $10,000 Peter Thomas Transport Maiden 1200 metres.

Purchased by David Ellis for $130,000 from the draft of Woodside Park Stud at the 2016 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and owned by the Te Akau Wandering Eye Syndicate, he recorded the win following a solid performance for second on debut in the Maiden 3YO 1000 metres on 16 August at Ruakaka.

“Te Akau Shark provided us with a great debut win on Wednesday at Te Rapa, and Wandering Eye is a horse that Jamie (Richards) really liked on the Gold Coast. I had a look at him and thought he was a pretty athletic horse, by a *sire Te Akau has had a lot of success with, and it was great to see him win so nicely today,” Ellis said.

“My wife Karyn liked him so much she bought a share in him and we have a great team of owners involved and they look to have a horse with a really bright future.

“We have won this race a number of times at Taupo, and regularly the first three have gone on to win Group races before the season's finished.”

As he had at the trials, Wandering Eye began smartly and rider Michael McNab controlled things to a nicety in front. Appearing to travel best around the home turn, he quickened to a two-length advantage to the 200m and although a chaser came out of the pack the win was in safe keeping.

On slow ground, Wandering Eye ran the 1200 metres in 1:14.2, last 600m in 36.0, and returned $4.50 & $1.50 tote odds on the NZ TAB.

McNab said: “He jumped away really well and relaxed, switched off, quickened nicely and he wasn't fully extended. It was good; he's very relaxed and still got plenty of improvement there.”

“It was a positive ride from Michael (McNab),” said co-trainer Jamie Richards, who prepares the horse with Stephen Autridge.

“It was a really good win. I went out and had a wander of the track beforehand and thought there might have been a faster strip near the rail.   He's a second foal that Dave (Ellis) bought on the Gold Coast as a sort that might develop into a 2000 Guineas and Derby horse and hopefully we're on the way.”

Richards said that with a team of horses already campaigning in the South Island, from a stable base at Riccarton, and although Wandering Eye holds a nomination for the 2000 Guineas he would initially stay in the North Island and races like the $100,000 Sarten Memorial (Gr. 2, 1400m) could be targeted on 23 October at Te Rapa.

Richards also wanted to thank the sponsors, Peter & Leanne Thomas who race horses with Te Akau.

Ellis added: “I'm thrilled for the staff. They've worked through the most appalling weather conditions in the last three months that the Waikato has ever seen. It's the most rainfall this year since data was first collected in 1935.  It's okay when you're working in an office but when you're working outside with the horses its bloody miserable and along with the owners I'm also very pleased for the staff to see the horses racing so well.

“Michael (McNab) rode him well and has been working very hard on his weight, riding a lot of track work and it was great to see.”

On course to soak up the success were first time owners Ralph & Anne Yule, farmers at Sherenden in Hawkes Bay.

“We're traditional farmers and hardly ever get off the farm and after watching the Karaka sales we thought we'd invest in a horse,” said Anne, whose family (Bristol) have been involved in racing for a long time in Wanganui.

“Wandering Eye was the last Te Akau horse with a ten percent share remaining and they had sold all the rest. He is the only horse we have, full stop.  My father bred and raced horses and I've had uncles that ran the Jockey Club, so it's in the blood to a degree and I've converted Ralph.”

His dam, Adulterer (Traditionally), was a dual winner over 1200 metres in Australia, and grand-dam It's My Sin (Success Express) won impressively up to 1400 metres before proving her talent at stud when leaving twelve individual winners of 39 races.

*Commands, the sire of Champion Two-Year-Old Melody Belle and another, Catalonia, who ended up winning over $600,000 in Australia.

Wandering Eye was strapped by Tayla Beardsley.

Picture credit - www.raceimages.co.nz