Gingernuts Confirmed for Derby

On the back of a stunning victory in the Avondale Guineas (Gr. 2, 2100m) on Saturday at Ellerslie, Gingernuts has been confirmed a starter in the $1m Vodafone NZ Derby (Gr. 1, 2400m).

Te Akau principal and syndicate manager David Ellis confirmed a late nomination for the three-year-old son of Iffraaj on Sunday, and Gingernuts will be one of possibly three horses trained by Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards in line for the race on March 4 at Ellerslie.

“We're going to run Gingernuts in the Derby, where he'll be ridden by Opie Bosson,” Ellis said.

“Our other runner Beaumarchais will be ridden by Michael McNab.”

Ellis said a decision on whether or not stable-mate and Waikato Guineas (Gr. 2, 2000m) runner-up Shocking Luck, who bypassed the Avondale Guineas mainly due to the slow ground, would be made shortly.

“Shocking Luck has been sold to a client of Te Akau Racing in Hong Kong, and a decision on whether he goes to the New Zealand Derby, the Queensland Derby, or straight to Hong Kong, will be made within the next twenty-four hours,” Ellis said.

Ellis purchased Gingernuts for $42,500 at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale. From the Generous mare Double Elle, a winner of five races to 1800 metres in Australia, he was offered for sale by Stainley Park, Waverley.

“We only bought two horses at that sale, Hall of Fame and Gingernuts,” Ellis said.

“Hall of Fame has already won a Group One (Levin Classic) and now Gingernuts has won a Group Two, and it's great to have gone to the sale and ended up with two horses of that quality.”

Both winners at only their second starts as two-year-olds, Gingernuts actually finished second on debut to the Savabeel colt Hall of Fame in the autumn at Pukekohe, before going on to win his next start at Hastings.

Commenting on the Avondale Guineas' win by Gingernuts who, after missing the start by four lengths, darted home on the inner, Ellis said: “We got a big thrill to see so many happy owners. That's what keeps us in the business and Steve and Jamie have done a fantastic job to train the horse for what I thought was such a phenomenal performance”.

“He missed the jump and in the end won being eased down. Although the going was slow, he ran his last 600m in 34.1 which was a second faster than anything else. So, I thought it was an incredible performance and the run of a horse that is going to get the Derby distance, in what looks a very open Derby field.”

Following the win by Gingernuts, the New Zealand TAB quoted him at $8.00 in their fixed odds market for the NZ Derby.

Ellis, who remained the leading buyer of yearlings for the past twelve years at the recently completed New Zealand Bloodstock National Sales Series, reported on a very busy time at Te Akau Stud since the sales.

“We ended up with thirty-six yearlings and shares have never sold quicker,” he said. “There is terrific interest, with shares left in some really nice horses but they are selling quickly. We've got lots of new owners and also lots of investment from our existing owners.”

Te Akau trainers Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards lead the way in the Trainers' Premiership in terms of stake money won, while currently second on wins.

“It makes me proud to see Steve & Jamie and all the staff being rewarded for their hard work and it's a super effort when I think that half of the horses that we buy go to our stable and trainer Mark Walker in Singapore,” Ellis said.

Both Walker and the Autridge/Richards training combination won their respective Trainers' Premierships last season, and Walker hit the front in the Singapore standings this year after winning four of the first five races at the Kranji meeting on Sunday 19 February - with a quinella in the first and a third placing in the fourth as well.