Like Mother, Like Daughter?

Blue blood two-year-old filly Avantaggia (2 f Wootton Bassett – Avantage, by Fastnet Rock) had a jump out on Friday at Matamata, on a path towards trialling. 

Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM began the fairytale story when purchasing Avantage as a yearling for $210,000, from The Oaks Stud draft, at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale, after being bred by Southlanders Willie and Karen Calder. 

Her dam, Asavant (Zabeel), won the Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) and finished third in the Group 1 International Stakes (2000m), and Ellis was rightfully bullish on the progeny of Fastnet Rock having bought both Heroic Valour, who provided the superstar sire with his first global Group One winning two-year-old when taking out the Group 1 Diamond Stakes (1200m), and also providing the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner Rock ‘N’ Pop.

Champion Two-Year-Old in 2017/18 and the second of seven consecutive Karaka Million 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) bought by Ellis and trained by Te Akau, Avantage went on to win nine Group One races, the most ever for any of Fastnet Rock's (Danehill) progeny.  She ended her sparkling career winning 16 of 28 races and $2.1 million in prize money for owners in the Te Akau Avantage Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

She then set a world record $4.1 million when sold online through Gavelhouse.com to Coolmore Australia, where she was foaled.

The first foal from Avantage, Avantaggia was among nine purchases by Ellis which saw him lead the buying after three days at the 2024 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, paying A$2.1 million for the filly out of the Coolmore draft.

Syndicated and now owned by the Te Akau 2024 Avantage Filly Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM) and trained by Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, Avantaggia is undergoing her second preparation at the stables and Te Akau racing manager Reece Trumper is happy with her progress.

“She’s a filly that has kept on improving from her first preparation and has a terrific brain,” Trumper said.

“All the track work riders say how good a brain she’s got and she’s a very quick learner. She’s a lovely filly, very easy going, and we love the way she does everything without any fuss. 

“She has a great constitution, eats like her mother, and there are strong comparisons between the two.

“There is a lot of talk about the progeny of Wootton Bassett in Australia, and he’s been given the best opportunities by Coolmore to make it as a sire in both hemispheres. 

“She was one of four in the jump out. Opie (Bosson) rode her and he was thrilled with what she did. He’s very happy with the way she’s going and he’s ridden her right the way through.”

Scheduled to jump out again on 19 December, Avantaggia may trial on 14 January at Matamata, and Trumper suggested she could get to the races in February or March.

“Wootton Bassett is a really good two-year-old sire in Europe, so hopefully we can see the same heading into next year with his two-year-olds in Australasia,” Trumper said.

Ellis, Marcus Corban, and Trumper have recently completed their tour of duty to Australia, inspecting yearlings ahead of the 2025 Gold Coast Yearling Sale (7 – 13 January), and caught up with Avantage, and her I Am Invincible filly (Lot 182) preparing to be sold.

“She’s an outstanding type, the I Am Invincible filly, and now Avantage is in foal to Zoustar,” Trumper said.

“She’s massive, Avantage, a tank, just a bigger version now of how she looked as a racehorse which was incredibly strong and powerful.”

Surprisingly, there is one final 2.5% share available in Avantaggia - contact [email protected]