Imagine - 25 Group 1 Wins

Mike & Ruth Redwood celebrated a milestone last Saturday at Ellerslie, when $400,000 Proisir Plate (Gr. 1, 1400m) winner Quintessa (5 m Shamus Award – Chaquinta, by High Chaparral) provided their 25th Group One success as Te Akau owners.  What an incredible result - we are delighted for them!

Since Age Of Fire (Fastnet Rock) recorded their first Group One success 2018, when winning the Group 1 Levin Classic, the couple has continued a steady stream of wins at the highest level, through the deeds of Avantage (Fastnet Rock), Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle), Captured By Love (Written Tycoon), and Quintessa.

It was the second for Quintessa, having won the Group 1 Levin Classic as a three-year-old, and occurred in brilliant fashion when coming from last with a withering burst down the outside for jockey Rory Hutchings.

In the process she took her earnings past $1 million, with six wins, including two Group 1 and two Group 3 victories, three Group 1 fourths, and she was also runner-up in two Group 2 races - all this from just 19 starts. She remains unbeaten fresh-up at two, three, four, and as a five-year-old - a rare feat indeed!

Owned by the Te Akau Awarded Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Quintessa was purchased by David Ellis CNZM as a yearling for $170,000 at the 2022 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Wentwood Grange. 

“I was sitting in a chair with my two dogs on my lap, my husband sitting in the La-Z-Boy beside me, and I thought she had no show chance from that marble (15), when she was a length last, and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw her coming down the outside and she just flew,” Ruth said.

“I didn’t think she would run that well, it really surprised me, but she’s capable of it. She had shown it throughout her career, she’s got the speed, but she's been in Australia and I thought it might take her a while to come back.

“The training team has done a marvellous job with her, no doubt about that, and she gave us our 25th Group One win with Te Akau and David (Ellis) has selected and bought all of them.

“The races are getting harder to win, there’s better horses coming a long all the time, but Quintessa is a good one.

“It’s a tough game, but very exciting when it goes the right way, especially with all the planning that went into Damask Rose winning the first NZB Kiwi Slot race. Right from the time of Te Akau buying the Slot at auction and picking Damask Rose to represent them way back in the Spring.

“I don’t think people realize just how much work David and Karyn put into everything, and exactly what they’re made of to be able to do it.

“Listening to Opie’s story the other day (Guerin Report), when he went out to the farm at Te Akau and David got him fit, got his diet right and working hard. 

“It speaks accolades for what David does behind the scenes, and there are so many people in horse racing game that he’s helped. And Opie said he’d worked for him since he left school, and that shows the calibre of man that David Ellis is.

“He’s had to be tough to run the big ship. It’s a huge operation, out at the farm as well. He’s got his finger on the pulse with the horses, whether they’re at the farm, or in the stables at Matamata, Riccarton, or Cranbourne, and he’s selected the best people possible to work for him.

“Mark Walker is marvellous, a fantastic horseman and really good guy, as Jamie Richards was as well, and so are the newer boys with Sam Bergerson, Reece Trumper, Hunter Durrant, and Michael Gray.

“But it all stems from David and Karyn, and their work ethic, that sets the benchmark for the whole operation. They hold it together and they’re both so approachable for anyone that has a question or needs help in the racing industry.

“They’re kind, they’re nice people and we’re glad to have them as friends. Mike and I both think it’s a great set up, absolutely marvellous, and it’s certainly taken us on a journey.

“We’re very proud of having had 25 Group One wins, but we have to thank Te Akau and David, because he’s the one that buys the horses.”