Seymour Double - It's Bluey's Seymour Cup

Former Group 2 Perth Cup 2400m winner Midnight Blue (8 g So You Think – Midnight Special, by Zabeel) resumed on a bright note with victory in the A$200,000 Listed Bet 365 Seymour Cup over the mile on Sunday at Seymour, Victoria.

With the advent of good ground, Te Akau stables caught alight over a 48-hour timeframe with wins by Our Paramour at Cranbourne; Inspired By Art at Te Rapa; Fellini and Vivacious at Ashburton; Bellatrix Star at Caulfield, and Stage ‘N’ Screen and Midnight Blue at Seymour.

The latest victory continued an astonishing performance by trainer Mark Walker, who runs the Te Akau stable at Cranbourne, as Midnight Blue became his seventh winner from the last 11 runners, including Bellatrix Star who became the first filly in 21 years to win the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes 1100m when she stylishly downed the weight-for-age field on Saturday at Caulfield.

For the spritely eight-year-old Midnight Blue, who looked good winning a jump out on 23 September at Cranbourne, and registered his seventh win from 1600m – 2400m, the Seymour Cup appeared an ideal starting point, having found the line for fifth when resuming in the corresponding race last year. He continued his association with Kiwi jockey, and former Te Akau New Zealand apprentice, Daniel Stackhouse after the pair was successful in the A$150,000 Thoroughbred Club Australia Handicap over 2000 metres in May at Caulfield.

Setting terms in front on that occasion before easing down to score by two and a quarter lengths, competitive early tempo saw Midnight Blue slot in beautifully to trail this time, which in the scale of things was probably the winning of the race.

He relaxed beautifully, stalked the two leaders 600m out, secured an inside passage to lead at the 250m and was driven out in staying fashion to win.

While shaping to prove competitive on the strength of his recent jump out win, the fresh-up victory was evidence of both a happy horse, ready for a return to racing, and a training operation that is going from strength to strength.

“It’s always hard when you have a number of rides to choose from, but we were lucky enough to choose the right one,” Stackhouse said. 

“It was a great training performance by Ben (Gleeson, assistant trainer) and the team, and Mark (Walker), to get this horse here in perfect order, for a mile first-up, after trialling really well leading into it.

“The race worked out as we wanted it to and although I was a bit concerned about going down to the fence (trail), we able to build into the race at the right time.

“He gave me a really good feel when I won on him at Caulfield, and the feeling he gave me today going to the start was unreal, so I was quietly confident.

“He probably got a bit tired late, first-up over a mile, but he’s got so much more improvement to come.”

Given Good4 footing, Midnight Blue ran 1600 metres in 1:36.6 and he returned a healthy dividend $25.90 & $5.70 on the NZ TAB tote.

“It was a great win today and I was really proud of him,” Walker said.

“Obviously we’re not usually in the business of buying tried seven-year-olds, but we looked at him in the online sale and Ben (Gleeson) had had an association with him previously. We set ourselves a budget and full credit to Karyn (Fenton-Ellis MNZM), because we went above the budget but she was keen to get a ready-made horse to sell between the Ready To Run Sale and the Yearling Sales.

“She got the owners on board and, gee, they’ve had a great run because he’s won twice and seems to be loving his racing as much as ever.  He's now earned A$220,000 in just six starts.

“I think the farrier we’ve got at Cranbourne, Bunners, he’s done a phenomenal job with the horse and Ben and the team have got him going very well. 

“The training facilities are outstanding at Cranbourne, with the sand dunes out the back, a beach just down the road, which really suits this horse and he’s just so big you can’t help but love him.

“Everyone seems to make a fuss of him, too, and he’s been feeling really good in himself and that’s the difference when they have a spring in their step.

“You give some of these old boys a bit of love and attention and they just seem to rejuvenate themselves. 

“Full credit to Ben and the team, we’ve thought outside the square with this horse and it was a big thrill to win the Seymour Cup, especially with Daniel Stackhouse aboard who was an original Te Akau apprentice before becoming a fully-fledged rider in Melbourne.

“I saw him riding one day in his hometown at Ashburton, and he came up north to the stables at Matamata. It didn’t really work out then, because he got a bit heavy and a bit homesick, but it's great to see him win another nice race in the tangerine colours.”

On course, assistant trainer Ben Gleeson said: “We’ve nearly had him (Midnight Blue) a year now and he’s just found a new lease on life.

“He loves Cranbourne, loves the sand hills, and the team at home has done an amazing job.

“We genuinely thought he was a winning chance. Stacky could have ridden another horse, but he wanted to stick with Midnight Blue, so that gave me a confidence boost and his last jump out was super.

“In the last week his coat has been glowing, he’s got dapples like apples, and I’m thrilled for all the connections. 

“There’s a nice race during the (Flemington) Carnival, the A$500,000 Country Cups Final (1600m), and the timing into it should be a perfect lead-up.”

Owned by the Te Akau Midnight Blue 1 Racing Partnerships, Midnight Blue was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $92,500 at the Inglis Digital 2023 November (early) Online Sale.

By New Zealand bred sire So You Think (High Chaparral), purchased as a yearling by Bart Cummings at Karaka, who went on to win 10 Group One races internationally before becoming a leading sire for Coolmore Stud, Midnight Blue is out winning Zabeel (Sir Tristram) mare Midnight Special, and is a half-brother to well performed NZ racehorse Demonetization (All Too Hard), who won 10 races including three Group Two wins and a Group Three.  

Midnight Blue was strapped by Harrietta Hibbert.