Stable Tours: Ellis highlights Te Akau’s current & future stars

Keely Mckitterick reports - ttrausnz.com.au - 

The eye-catching tangerine silks of David Ellis' Te Akau Racing were prominent on both sides of the Tasman on Saturday. Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson delivered five winners for the operation, headlined by Quintessa’s (Shamus Award) victory in the G3 Quezette S. Meanwhile, To Bravery Born (NZ) (Snitzel) secured the first 2-year-old race of the new season in New Zealand at Wanganui.

Progressive filly The Victress (Zousain) improved her record to two wins from four starts, while Fellini (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) and Kabugee (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) also claimed victories at Riccarton.

The Thoroughbred Report caught up with David Ellis CNZM to discuss Saturday’s winners and to learn about the spring plans for some other runners in the coming weeks and months.

Perfect Beginnings

To Bravery Born (NZ), a son of Arrowfield Stud’s four-time Champion Sire Snitzel, made a perfect start to his racing career by winning the Dave Hoskin Carriers Mdn over 800 metres. The son of Snitzel is out of the All Too Hard mare Milunka, who is a half-sister to G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas victress Kahma Lass (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), also purchased by Ellis from the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for Brendan and Jo Lindsay of Cambridge Stud.

David Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) secured To Bravery Born for NZ$200,000 from the Curraghmore draft at this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.

Ellis expressed his surprise at the price, saying, “We were surprised to pick To Bravery Born up for $200,000. Curraghmore Stud, run by Gordon Cunningham, is as good as it gets in the business. It’s very hard to get a cheap horse from him because he’s such a good marketer and has such a good set-up, so we were thrilled.”

Referring to his notes on what appealed about To Bravery Born, Ellis was characteristically precise: “I put small to average size, good strong 2-year-old type, one for the early races.

“And I gave him a B++ which is a high rating for me. He was bred by Nearco Stud, and they’ve had as much luck as anybody in the Southern Hemisphere. Greg Tomlinson was Breeder of the Year, so we really were thrilled to pay $200,000 for him.”

Looking ahead, Ellis confirmed they would be targeting the R. Listed Karaka 2YO Million in January.

“The plan is to have the colt heading towards the Karaka Million.”

Quintessa Out to Emulate Belle

On Saturday, the classy 4-year-old mare Quintessa (NZ) broke her Australian duck in the G3 Cockram S. at Caulfield. A winner of the G1 Levin Classic in New Zealand, Quintessa showed her quality last season in Australia, placing in the G2 Alister Clark S. and securing fourth-place finishes in both the G1 Australian Guineas and the G1 Australian Oaks.

The daughter of Shamus Award was purchased by Ellis for NZ$170,000 from the Wentwood Grange draft at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.

Quintessa will now look to emulate another Te Akau Racing alumna, the Champion Mare Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands), in the G1 Empire Rose S. during Cup Week.

“She was reared and bred at Wentwood Grange, and we’ve had a lot of luck buying off that farm,” Ellis said.

Quintessa was bred by Peachester Lodge, operated by Graham and Linda Huddy. Ellis added it was wonderful to see the mare perform well for her breeders: “It was very nice for Graham and Lindy Huddy, who bred her, to see Quintessa win a Group 3 in Australia, alongside her Group 1 victory earlier in her career.

“The whole team has done a great job with Quintessa. She’s been knocking on the door in Australia, but she's just a little bit stronger now, and I think she’s in for a good preparation.”

Girls on Guineas Path

The progressive filly The Victress was initially sold by Bhima Thoroughbreds to Manson Place Bloodstock for $130,000 at the 2022 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale. The daughter of Zousain was then presented by Coolmore Stud at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where Ellis secured her for $250,000.

Ellis indicated that The Victress is targeting the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas alongside her classy stablemate Captured By Love (Written Tycoon). He noted, “Interestingly enough, I put a filly syndicate together that year (2023), and The Victress is one in the syndicate, and the other is a really top filly named Captured By Love.

“Captured By Love won the G2 Matamata Breeders S., and she’s won three Group races and has been Group 1-placed.”

The daughter of Written Tycoon was a $525,000 purchase by Ellis from the Milburn Creek draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Captured By Love has claimed victories in the G2 Challenge S., the G2 Matamata Breeders S., and the G3 Taranaki 2YO Classic. She also has placings in the G1 Sistema S. and the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S.

Ellis shared the goals for the fillies, saying, “Captured By Love is going for the 1000 Guineas, and The Victress will follow that path as well.”

Ones to Watch

Although it’s early in the new season, Ellis already has several prospects that the Te Akau team are excited about among their 2-year-olds.

“We’ve got some nice 2-year-olds that we’ve bought this year. We bought at five sales: The Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January, Karaka in New Zealand, then we went to Sydney and Melbourne for the Inglis Sale, and back to Queensland for the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale.”

One of the 2-year-olds showing promising signs is a Wootton Bassett (GB) filly from none other than Avantage (Fastnet Rock), another superstar purchased by Ellis as a yearling and raced to success by Te Akau Racing.

Avantage was crowned the New Zealand Champion 2-Year-Old and the Leading New Zealand 3-Year-Old Filly. She won 16 races from 800 to 2000 metres, including nine elite-level races.

The Wootton Bassett filly is Avantage’s first foal. Offered by Coolmore Stud at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Ellis went to $2.1 million to take her home. She has since been named Avantaggia. 

Ellis added, “We really like her. We’ve also got a Snitzel colt out of Vaujany that looks pretty exciting.”

Now named Return To Conquer, the Snitzel colt was a $1.3 million purchase by Ellis from the draft of Blue Gum Farm at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

He is the second foal from the unraced Lonhro mare Vaujany, a daughter of the dual Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Portillo (Red Ransom {USA}). Vaujany is a full sister to the G2 Surround S. winner Ghisoni and from the family of the G3 Hong Kong Jockey Club S. victress Larkspur Run (Shamardal {USA}).

“We’ve got about six or seven really nice 2-year-olds ready to trial, but it’s been quite wet in New Zealand over the last few weeks; it’ll soon dry out.”

Among the established horses carrying the tangerine silks, a promising prospect is Sans Doute (Not A Single Doubt). The mare has won seven races and has shown an affinity for the Flemington straight, having won the Listed Bob Hoysted S. at the venue.

Ellis shared her plan, “Sans Doute is coming up really well and will run at Flemington on September 14 in the G2 Bobbie Lewis.”

Also bringing plenty of excitement to Ellis and the team is the Group 1-winning colt Move To Strike (I Am Invincible). He was a $525,000 purchase by Ellis from the draft of Baramul Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“We’ve got a very smart 3-year-old colt in New Zealand, he’s by I Am Invincible and named Move To Strike. He won a Group 1 as a 2-year-old, and we’re taking 10 horses to gallop tomorrow (Monday) morning.”

Ellis added, “We’re setting him up for the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas, so he’ll race alongside the filly Captured By Love. He will race next Saturday at Hawkes Bay, where it looks like the track will be really good.”