First Season Runner - A Winner

Te Akau trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson had the perfect start to the new season, when Alminette (6 m Burgundy – High Heels, by High Chaparral) won the $35,000 Gold Club Rating 75 1400 metres on 2 August at Riccarton - our first new season starter, only Riccarton runner, comes home a winner!

Having defended their Trainers' Premiership title with 131 wins last season, Alminette was their first representative in the 2025/26 season, and she rated a top three chance after finishing strongly for second in the corresponding event on 20 July at Oamaru.

She was ridden by Brazilian jockey Bruno Queiroz, who has now won six of 15 rides for the stable, including the Listed James Bull Rangitkei Cup aboard Francee (Iffraaj) on 17 May at Trentham, his first stakes' win in New Zealand.  A talented rider, he had previously ridden winners for the stable in Singapore.

After a slow beginning, he was content to allow Alminette to bide her time at the back, before circling widest into the home straight, and she sustained a strong finish to get the measure of Letsbringthebling near the line. 

Alminette ran 1400 metres in 1:28.8 on footing rated Heavy10, having placed previously in four of six starts on Heavy going, and paid $3.60 & $1.80 on the NZ TAB tote.

“It was really good to see her back in the winner’s circle, and a great way to start the season,” Walker said.

“It was a confident ride by Bruno (Queiroz), as she needs to be held up like that and get there at the last possible moment, and he timed perfectly today.

“She's a mare with ability, but she’s been a bit unlucky at times. She is however, already stakes' placed, so hopefully she can continue to build a nice record.”

A second-up winner as a three-year-old at Matamata, Alminette continued performing well in her first season of racing, culminating with a fourth placing in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes. She was also third in the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes, while her subsequent victory came in August last season on the poly-track at Riccarton.

Owned by the Te Akau Running In Heels Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Alminette was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $52,500 at the 2021 Karaka Book 2 Sale, on account of Sunlight Trust, from a classy family bred by Paddy Preston of Mills Reef Winery.

The family has left precocious and talented performers, mainly fillies, that have shown the ability to win over a wide range of distances. 

Alminette is the fifth individual winner for High Heels, whose progeny have won from 1200m to 2200m, while her grand-dam Wave To Lottie (Crested Wave) left Group One winner Veloce Bella (Volksraad), who won 12 races and became a very good producer including Group Three winner Walking Flying (Tavistock) in her off-spring.

“I remember her being a beautiful filly, with all the right attributes, when we bought her as a yearling at Karaka,” Ellis said.

“She was bred by Paddy Preston (Sunlight Trust), who has invested in well-bred mares, and Alminette has the makings of a really good broodmare when she ends her racing career.

“In the meantime, Hunter Durrant (assistant trainer), and all the team at our Riccarton stable continue to do a great job, and Alminette appears in the right form to go on with it.

“It was an exciting start to the new season, winning with our first runner, and our accountant Gilbert Southworth’s daughter Amelia strapped the horse.

“And it was another win for the stock of Burgundy (Redoute’s Choice), probably the fastest horse we’ve ever bought and trained at Te Akau, and what a tragic loss he was to the New Zealand breeding industry.”

Reflecting on a highlight for the season (2024/25) just gone, Ellis said: 

“I think the highlight was winning the inaugural New Zealand Bloodstock Slot Race (NZB Kiwi). Not only winning it with a filly we bought and syndicated, and chose to represent and fill our slot, but winning it for a great group of owners.

“It is the richest race ($3.5 million) ever in New Zealand racing history, the richest three-year-old race in the Southern Hemisphere, and it was great to see Champion Victorian jockey Blake Shinn come over and ride her so well.

“He’d been over here riding work for us, riding at the trials, and it was special to see him not only win the Karaka Million 3YO (Restricted Listed, 1600m) with Damask Rose (Savabeel), but also to follow it up with the slot race win on her too.

“On the same day (8 March) at Ellerslie, we also recorded our 100th Group One win when Return To Conquer (Snitzel) won the Group 1 Sistema Stakes, so it’s difficult not to put the events of that day at the top. It was a milestone and historic day.

“It's fair to say however that winning both Karaka Millions on the same night was very special too, as was winning both the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas and Group 3 NZ Cup on the same day at Riccarton during Cup Week.”

Alminette was strapped by Amelia Southworth.

Photo credit - Ajay Berry - www.raceimages.co.nz