Out Of The Blue & The Tangerine Army Primed for Karaka Millions showdown

Out Of The Blue (2 g Tivaci – Cornflower Blue, by Savabeel) will have the attention of a broad group of owners and supporters when he contests the $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) on Saturday at Ellerslie.

Te Akau has won the race eight times, including last year with Champion Two-Year-Old La Dorada (Super Seth), with all eight winners selected and purchased as yearlings by David Ellis CNZM at Karaka — and Out Of The Blue is no exception.

Ellis secured the colt for $60,000 at the 2025 Karaka Book 1 Sale from the Waikato Stud draft, before Out Of The Blue was syndicated among family, friends and new owners by Te Akau Marketing Manager Julia-Rose Hayes to form the Te Akau Tangerine Army Racing Partnership 1 (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

For Julia-Rose Hayes, the Karaka Millions represents far more than just race day.

“Of course it’s a really exciting day ahead it feels like Christmas for us,” Hayes said. “We have more than 100 people joining us in our private Tangerine Army area on course at Ellerslie, and I’m so excited for what’s going to be a great day trackside, regardless of the result.

“It’s been such a special journey. When we syndicated this horse, it was about bringing people together and creating new connections. Personally, I didn’t know around 70 per cent of the syndicate at the start, and now I’ve formed great relationships with so many of them.

“We’ve got people flying in from everywhere - including owners who come over from Australia with more than 10 friends just to be part of the experience - and that really sums up what this syndicate is about.”

Eligibility for the Karaka Millions is acquired through registration, with prize money determining the order of entry. Out Of The Blue ranked fifth with $46,375, while stable-mate and race favourite Kinnaird (Home Affairs) headed the list with $152,375.

A talented two-year-old with a good action, Out Of The Blue made the best possible start to his racing career when recording a smart debut victory over 800 metres at Riccarton in September, which effectively assured him a place in the Karaka Millions field. A second comfortable win at the same venue a month later allowed trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson the luxury of giving him a freshen-up.

His lead-up run resulted in an unlucky third in the Wellesley Stakes (Listed, 1100m) on 3 January at Trentham, and despite drawing the outside barrier (14), he will have the services of Champion jockey Craig Williams, who rode La Dorada to victory in the race last year.

Interestingly, On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau), who won the Karaka Millions for Te Akau Splash Of Dom Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM) in 2021, was also syndicated by Julia-Rose Ellis and similarly drew barrier 14.

Following Out Of The Blue’s early victories, David Ellis praised both the horse and the syndicate behind him.

“I’m thrilled for the owners, Julia-Rose, her husband Hamish Hayes, and he’s won in the manner of a horse with a lot of potential,” Ellis said.

“They’ve got so many young people into the horse and to see him win his first two starts for them is absolutely terrific. It’s a great name for the syndicate, and I wish them all the very best.

“We trained the mare, Cornflower Blue, for Waikato Stud, and she was a really good filly. She won the Group 3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m), finished third in the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas (1600m), Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1400m), and Listed Mufhasa Stakes (1300m), and obviously the cross with their stallion Tivaci (High Chaparral) has worked really well.

“He wasn’t an expensive horse, but we’d had first-hand experience with the dam and the family has left an incredible amount of Group winners and race winners.

“Well done to everyone at Te Akau Stud that got him going in his education, and Mark (Walker), Sam (Bergerson) and Hunter (Durrant), who runs our stable at Riccarton.”

Julia-Rose Hayes also highlighted the broader reach of the syndicate and its impact beyond the track. “We’ve got numerous friends involved in this horse as well, including Luke Kemeys, who is here today with hundreds of people from Boys Get Paid,” she said.

“It’s great to see younger people in the sport getting behind initiatives like the Tangerine Army, as Luke has, and he’s been incredibly instrumental in bringing new people into racing. He’s always supported the industry, and I’m thrilled to have him involved in a Karaka Millions' runner with Te Akau. To win a race like this for him and the rest of our syndicate would be incredibly special. At the end of the day, this is what racing is all about, and this entire experience has been a dream outcome for our first Tangerine Army syndicate - with many more to come.”