Four chances for glory: Te Akau targets Group 1 Sires’ supremacy again
28 March, 2025
TTR reports - Written by Dane McLeod:
Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson will lineup four runners in Saturday’s G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, aiming for an extraordinary seventh victory in the past eight race editions. With a diverse and talented group of well-bred juveniles, each has a strong claim to join the prestigious honour roll.
Te Akau Racing is set to unleash a formidable team of four highly promising juveniles. Each brings a different profile and experience level, but all aim to cement their Group 1 credentials on Saturday.
Te Akau’s classy quartet of contenders
To Bravery Born (NZ) (Snitzel x Milunka {All Too Hard})
Bred by Nearco Stud and purchased for NZ$200,000 by Mr DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) from Curraghmore's draft at the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale. To Bravery Born (NZ) is a blueblood colt by champion sire Snitzel, boasting an outstanding pedigree that Nearco Stud has nurtured.
After a strong third-place finish in the G3 Matamata Slipper, behind elite stablemates Return To Conquer (Snitzel) and He Who Dares (Snitzel), the colt has been deliberately kept fresh for Saturday’s assignment.
“His last run for third was very good in the Matamata Slipper, behind two very good horses that we know very well, and he was making good ground late,” Ellis said.
“Mark and Sam think that the 1400 metres will be ideal, and they have purposely kept him on the fresher side as they think that will suit him. He has had exhibition gallops and is ready to run a big race.”
With a profile that suggests improvement over a more extended trip, To Bravery Born is an exciting colt who is a serious contender if he can handle the step up in distance and pressure.
La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth x Gold Fever {NZ} {Savabeel})
The daughter of emerging young sire Super Seth, La Dorada (NZ) carries both pedigree and performance. Purchased by Mr DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) for NZ$190,000 from Waikato Stud at Karaka, she’s already earned a spot among the best fillies of her generation.
Her record is exemplary, with three wins from four starts, including a brilliant victory in the R. Listed Karaka Millions 2YO, followed by another black-type triumph in the G2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes, a race her dam Gold Fever (NZ) (Savabeel) also won for Te Akau.
“She is a filly that we are very proud of. She has won three of her four starts and was fantastic winning the Karaka Millions,” Ellis said.
“She then went on to win the Matamata Breeders, which is such a big race, and we also won that race with her mother, Gold Fever.
“It is very exciting to have a very smart Super Seth filly. I really rate the stallion and they are firing.”
La Dorada was among the favourites for the G1 Sistema Stakes but was a late scratching after developing a slight temperature.
“She just had a little temperature, and we were never going to take any risk with her, so we pulled her out,” Ellis explained.
“She has had a couple of exhibition gallops at Tauranga and Matamata to keep her up to the mark, and hopefully she can get a deserved Group 1 on the weekend.”
Hostility (I Am Invincible x Shillelagh (NZ) {Savabeel})
The most expensive of the Te Akau quartet, Hostility, turned heads at the 2024 NZB Ready To Run Sale, where he was knocked down to Mr DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) for a staggering NZ$1.65 million. Offered by Kiltannon Stables, he is a son of I Am Invincible out of dual Group 1-winning mare Shillelagh (NZ), making him a colt of immense value.
“He has impressed everybody since we purchased him, and he ran very well on debut when only just beaten,” Ellis said.
“He’s developed into a nice colt and his temperament is very good. Mark and Sam have done a great job getting him to this point after the ready-to-run sale.
“Whether he can win a Group 1 at only his second start, who knows, but we do think he will improve into a lovely 3-year-old.”
Plans are already being shaped for his classic season, with the G1 2000 Guineas at Riccarton a likely target.
“We think he can be an ideal 2000 Guineas colt. He will go down to Riccarton nice and early,” Ellis explained.
“It doesn’t rain as much down there as it does at Matamata, so we will work with that plan in order to get him the better tracks to prepare on.”
“Hunter Durrant is our assistant trainer in the South Island and he does a wonderful job. We only have a maximum of 25 horses down there and the leading number of winners in the South Island. So whenever horses go down there, they are in wonderful hands.”
Born To Be Royal (King’s Legacy x Fatal Rendezvous {All American})
Although Born To Be Royal (King's Legacy) is still a maiden, her form is far from underwhelming. She has placed in both her starts, including a strong debut second behind In Haste (Snitzel), followed by a third behind La Dorada in the G2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes. Both efforts have hinted that more ground will suit, making this weekend’s 1400-metre test a logical next step.
She was another Mr DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) Karaka purchase from Riversley Park for $260,000 and is by first-season sire King’s Legacy, from the same famed family as Not A Single Doubt; in fact, her sire himself also hails from that very line so she has very interesting breeding patterns.
“She is very promising, an exciting filly. She has drawn very badly, so she will need a lot of luck,” Ellis said.
“But in time, she looks an ideal 1000 Guineas filly.”
"Rory Hutchings rode her in the Breeders’ Stakes last time, and he was very impressed; he actually said to me, ‘I guarantee you that she will be your best 3-year-old filly next season.’ So that’s a pretty good push for her future.”
"It is a long way out, but she looks an ideal filly for the slot race.”
Does Trentham change the dynamics of this year’s edition?
When asked whether the relocation of the Sires’ Produce Stakes to Trentham this year alters the complexion of the race, Ellis acknowledged that the shift could significantly affect how the contest unfolds.
“That is a very good question. I think with it being at Trentham, it is going to make it a harder 1400 metres.
"Trentham is much more of a staying course than Awapuni, which could change things. We will see whether it suits our particular horses on Saturday.”
While aware of the challenges, Ellis remained optimistic, citing his team’s positive track record at the venue.
“One thing is, we have a very good record at Trentham. We have had plenty of success there, and hopefully, it continues.”
An early audition for next year’s ‘The Kiwi’?
With the 2025 running of the Sires’ Produce Stakes taking place at Trentham this year potentially proving to be a good, strong test at 1400 metres, the race not only offers immediate Group 1 glory but could also prove an ideal launching pad towards New Zealand’s richest race, the NZ$4 million ‘The Kiwi’ in 2026.
This year’s edition is particularly interesting because all the runners are eligible for 'The Kiwi'— a 1500-metre contest restricted to 3-year-olds that meet specific New Zealand criteria. To qualify, horses must either be bred in New Zealand, sold through New Zealand Bloodstock or Gavelhouse or conceived in New Zealand, making this juvenile Group 1 an ideal early dress rehearsal.
Te Akau tasted success in this year's race with Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel), and Ellis believes the 1400-metre trip at Trentham could offer the perfect indicator of future success at a distance.
“Absolutely, it should be an excellent guide, with it being 1400 metres at Trentham,” Ellis said.
“All of our runners on Saturday will be targeted towards next year’s ‘Kiwi’, especially with it worth $4 million next year.”
“It was a huge thrill to win The Kiwi this year with Damask Rose, as well as the big 2-year-old Group 1 with Return To Conquer, on the day”, Ellis reflected.
“We would love to make it two in a row next year; we will work towards that race with all these horses.”
In typical Te Akau style, planning is already well underway for that event and the future. Ellis has also been busy at the sales ring, continuing to invest in young horses with an eye toward the top echelon of Australasian racing.
“We purchase horses to try and win these big Group 1s or races like The Kiwi,” he explained.
“We have purchased 62 horses this year and plan to be busy at the Easter Sale.”
Interestingly, Ellis noted ownership opportunities are still available for those interested in joining the stable’s growing list of success stories.
“Interestingly enough, we still have a few shares available. And it’s funny how it works, but our strike rate with the ones that are last to sell or late to sell is pretty good — Damask Rose, Avantage, Imperatriz, so it’s never too late to get in touch.”
As the Sires’ Produce unfolds over the more testing Trentham circuit this Saturday, punters and form analysts may already be watching through the lens of 'The Kiwi 2026'. The road to another $4 million payday could begin this weekend for Ellis and Te Akau Racing.