Special Te Akau Win at Taupo

Now the winner of four, from nine starts, Don'tblamethemusic (5 g Coats Choice - Blame the Music, by Stravinsky) provided Te Akau apprentice Nik Bakar with a special moment when resuming victoriously in the $11,000 Per Incanto Proven Rating 72 1200 metres on 22 August at Taupo.

Aboard recently when he trialled well for third to subsequent Foxbridge Plate (Gr. 2, 1200m) winning stable-mate Melody Belle (Commands) at Te Rapa, Bakar was experiencing success at just his second race day ride.

Beginning well from barrier one, Don'tblamethemusic strode along freely in front, appearing to love his work, and after quickening to a two length advantage early in the home straight the race was all over bar the shouting a fair way out.

On footing downgraded after overnight rain to Slow9, Don'tblamethemusic, a winner of his first two starts for the Te Akau Musical Syndicate, had previously scored on good and dead ground but looked fine in his action and coped with conditions admirably.

Returning $10.00 & $2.65 fixed odds on the NZ TAB, he ran the 1200 metres in 1:14.1 and last 600m in 37.1, with 4kgs weight relief to carry 55kgs, scoring by one and a half lengths.

“He's an older horse that appreciates a claim. He had a nice draw and Nik gave him a lovely ride,” said trainer Jamie Richards.

“Nik has put a lot of hard work in through the winter and it's really good to give the kids an opportunity when the right horse pops up.

“Nik came to us from Malaysia. He's a good friend of Shafiq's and with the licensing changes in Singapore, the boys have to come out here and show that they can ride before they head back. So, he's going to work his way through the grades with our horses getting ready in the spring and I'm sure he'll do a good job.”

Richards said that following the third to Melody Belle at the trials, Don'tblamethemusic was preparing for a second trial. “He was going to trial again, but he came here (Taupo) for a gallop instead and Opie (Bosson) thought his work here was good enough, under a big weight, and that gave us confidence.

“He's another horse that Dave (Ellis) purchased nice and cheaply from the South Island, and he'll continue to improve as the season goes on.”

Bought as a yearling for $22,000 at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock South Island Sale, from the Three Valleys draft, he has a Northern Dancer cross on both sides of his pedigree, inbreeding to Nureyev on the dam side, and a Zabeel (Sir Tristram) influence as sire of his grand-dam Noubeel.

“Mark Walker recommended to me that Nik (Bakar) come down to us in Matamata,” Ellis said. “He's done really well. He's worked hard, and Te Akau has had a great run with apprentices. Shafiq Rusof has been twice been Singapore's champion apprentice, Opie Bosson was a champion apprentice, and we've also had Troy Harris, Samantha Collett, Vinny Colgan, Daniel Stackhouse, and Daniel Miller.

“We believe in giving the apprentices a fair deal and you can see that this young man has been listening to what Jamie (Richards) has told him, and I think he's got a really good future. He joins quite a list of apprentices that have had their first win in the tangerine (colours). I can't remember all the apprentices that I've given their first winning ride to, but some of them are: Daniel Stackhouse, his sister Emma Stackhouse, Darren Weatherley, Reese Jones, Troy Harris, Opie Bosson, and Dan Miller, to name a few. Darren is Sam Weatherley's father and Sam has also ridden winners for us.

“I didn't pay a lot for this horse, but he's establishing a really good record and importantly the owners have let us handle him patiently. He's always shown plenty of potential and having his first start for the season there looks to be a lot of improvement still to come.  He did some work early to lead and in the end he had quite a bit on that field, so it was a very good effort.

“Jamie told me that the horse was going well and could be our best winning chance of the day, and as usual he was spot on.”

Ellis also reflected on an eventful and rewarding last few days for Te Akau Racing. Having kicked off the season with a terrific win by Melody Belle (Commands) in the $100,000 Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate (Gr. 2, 1200m) last Saturday at Te Rapa, and scooped the pool with awards on Monday at the Matamata Racing Awards and Appreciation Evening held at Matamata Racecourse.

“For the third year in a row we had the Champion Two-Year-Old (Heroic Valour, Melody Belle, Avantage), third year in a row Champion Three-Year-Old (Xtravagant, Gingernuts, Embellish), third year in a row Horse of the Year (Xtravagant, Gingernuts, Avantage), and the same for champion stable,” Ellis said.

“It's been pretty good week so far and it was also a highlight for all the staff to have one of our most popular members, Teina Walters, winning the Strapper's Award on Monday night.”

Don'tblamethemusic was strapped by Tayla Beardsley.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz