Proud - Owner of the Year Finalists

Te Akau congratulates the finalists for Owner of the Year who are involved with, or have entrusted horses to, our stable: Cambridge Stud, Gerry Harvey, JML Bloodstock, Tony Rider and Waikato Stud. Also named as finalists are Denise Bassett and John Elstob, loyal Te Akau owners, who were honoured with this award last year ...

The epitome of ownership support in Te Akau Racing, Denise Bassett and John Elstob are again finalists, seeking to defend their Owner of the Year title at the 2024/25 New Zealand Horse of the Year Awards on Sunday 7 September at GLOBOX Arena, Claudelands Events Centre, Hamilton.

Spearheaded by 10-time Group One winner and reigning NZ Horse of the Year Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), in whom they owned a quarter share (25%), the couple won 56 races in the 2023/24 season with Te Akau horses they were involved in, which included HOY finalists Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) and Move To Strike ((I Am Invincible), alongside an additional six stakes' winners.

Carrying on their merry way in the season just completed, John & Denise celebrated Group One successes with Captured By Love in the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas and unbeaten two-year-old Return To Conquer (Snitzel) in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes, which also coincided with the 100th Group One victory for Te Akau.

They had a total of 46 wins for the 2024/25 season, including three individual stakes' winners of six races, while also sharing in The Mighty Spar (Savabeel), who won four consecutive steeplechase starts, and promising jumper Prismatic (Savabeel), both from the Te Akau stable at Cranbourne (Victoria). 

The couple are extensive travellers to watch their charges race and are an integral part of not just horse ownership in New Zealand, but also racing administration (Waikato Thoroughbred Racing - John being a former Chairman of the Waikato RC) and also commercial enterprise (SVS Veterinary Supplies). 

“We’ve had a pretty special time, obviously with Imperatriz, but with a number of other horses as well,” said Elstob.

“It’s been a great couple of seasons and a real honour to be nominated again for the Owners' Award. Obviously the six wins by Imperatriz helped the tally (56) in the 2023/24 season, but to get another 46 wins last season we thought was pretty stunning.”

Owners of the Year finalists, sponsored by TAB Racing Club, are: Denise Bassett & John Elstob, Cambridge Stud, Gerry Harvey, JML Bloodstock, Kim and Peter McKay, The Oaks Stud, Pencarrow Thoroughbreds, Tony Rider, Kelvin and Vanessa Tyler, and Waikato Stud.

“The 1000 Guineas with Captured By Love was a highlight,” Elstob said. 

“We’d won the 2000 Guineas with Noverre (Savabeel), but not the fillies’ race, and we were down there to watch it. My old home town is Darfield, where I lived for 35 years, so that makes Riccarton pretty special in our hearts. 

“It was a nervous day, going to Ellerslie for the Group 1 Sistema Stakes, because Return To Conquer was an unbeaten colt and the goal with colts is always to keep their record intact, if you can.

“We thought if he could win the race, it would make him into a good stallion prospect. He was the favourite and he got the job done.

“He’s now with Mark (Walker) in Australia, and whatever he does there will, hopefully, advance the cause. I think he’s a pretty good horse, winning four out of four in New Zealand, all stakes' races, and he’s the type to improve as a three-year-old. It’s the next step for a colt, to have a go over there and perform.

“Denise and I love the game, and she’s actually gone to Taupo today (4 August) for the trials. I had to work, but we’ve got shares in ten that are trialling. 

“We’re looking forward to the Spring, it’s always exciting to see the youngsters coming through. We’ve got three-year-olds that didn’t really race at two, and it’s going to be exciting to see where they’re all at. 

“We are led by DC (David Ellis) and Karyn, Mark (Walker), Sam (Bergerson), Marcus (Corban), and Reece (Trumper), who make up the buying team, and we believe in letting the people that know what they’re doing guide us. 

“We love the communications about all our horses, and Te Akau seems to be able to step it up every year. It really makes you feel that you’re in the team, and I often sit down at night and go through them.

“It is great fun and you can have a lot of fun in life if you want to. Purely and simple it’s the people involved that makes it for us. There are some really good people, and you can bring your family and friends along to watch horses racing, have a drink and have fun.

“Te Akau has won the Trainer’s Premiership again. They have a lot of good people around them and they make things happen.”