Te Akau 1st 2YO of the Season Wins

Date: 26 Sep 2020

Te Akau 1st 2YO of the Season Wins










As professional as you like, Quattro Quinta (2 g Darci Brahma - Quintette, by Alamosa) produced a comfortable debut victory in the $10,000 Dunstan Feeds Maiden 2YO 880 metres on Saturday at Ellerslie.





Ridden by Troy Harris, aboard
when he drew out to win handsomely at the trials on 15 September at Te Rapa,
Quattro Quinta started a clear favourite ($1.90 & $1.10). Away cleanly from
barrier four to travel along in third, he took over early in the home straight
and cut a pretty picture at the line.





On Good3 footing, Quattro Quinta
scored by two and a quarter lengths and clocked 50.0 for the 880 metres.





The first two-year-old to step out this season for leading trainer Jamie Richards, Quattro Quinta is bred and owned by Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM, Greg Tomlinson, David and Matthew Peacocke and Oliver Saxton. Eventual Karaka Million 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) winner Cool Aza Beel (Savabeel) was first cab off the rank last season for Richards, and while Quattro Quinta may share some ability traits he is Karaka Million ineligible having not been a Karaka Sales' graduate.





“It was a nice win from a nice
horse,” Richards said. “It's good to win early season two-year-old races and
get them going. He's come to hand naturally and hasn't had any pressure put on
him, like we treat all our horses at two. He had a couple of jump outs and a
soft trial, came here in good shape and we were really pleased with him when he
worked up the back straight on the plough on Wednesday morning at Matamata.
It's such an advantage when the weather improves and we're able to use the
plough again, and the winners really start to flow as the tracks get better.





“He's bred by some good
supporters of the stable, so I'm very pleased for them, and it was great to
have Troy (Harris) back out there riding winners.





“The team at the Main Stable have
done a good job with these young horses coming through and getting them educated
in a couple of preps. In and out of the stable a couple of times and he's a
horse that spelled very well between preparations at Te Akau Stud.





Well put together, with an action
and conformation to match, Quattro Quinta emulated his sire Darci Brahma
(Danehill) as a debut winner. Purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM,
Darci Brahma was in a different class when winning as a two-year-old in January
2005 at Avondale, prior to winning the Matamata Slipper (Listed, 1200m) at his
second start, finishing second in the Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) at
Ellerslie, and winning the T J Smith Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Eagle Farm. Darci
Brahma won five Group 1 races for trainer Mark Walker before becoming an
instrumental part of the New Zealand breeding industry.





The dam of Quattro Quinta, Quintette (Alamosa), was a stakes' placed winner, finishing runner-up at just her second start as a two-year-old in the Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) on NZ Cup at Riccarton, while grand-dam Everswindell (Align) finished second in the 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) and third in both the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (Gr. 2, 2000m) and Lowland Stakes (Gr. 3, 2100m), before placing in the Wellington Cup (Gr. 1, 3200m) and winning the New Zealand Cup (Gr. 2, 3200m).





Quattro Quinta has a cross of
immortal sire Northern Dancer (Nearctic), through the sire line of Champion
Sire Darci Brahma and dam-sire line of Quintette.





“He's a horse we bred here at the farm and very exciting for the breeders, who also raced his dam Quintette and we've just received news this morning that she had a filly foal by Xtravagant (Pentire) today at Newhaven Park Stud in New South Wales,” Ellis said.





“It's great that they could race Quintette and continue on with racing winning progeny.





“Our equine manager here at the
stud (Enzo Di Leoni) broke him in and thought he could be our first
two-year-old winner this season, and he was dead right.





“It was a big thrill for the owners and for Troy Harris, who did his apprenticeship with Te Akau. He rides work every morning for us. He's just a freak at educating these young horses and not only that but he's a really top race day rider. It's such an advantage and he's a very important member of the team.





“It's great we can reward Troy
with another win and also that he can ride Melody Belle (Commands) for us next
Saturday in the Windsor Park Plate (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Hastings.”





Ellis also made mention of hosting a special stable team dinner and drinks, to celebrate the premiership win from last season, on Friday night at Matamata. A season in which trainer Jamie Richards prepared 104 winners, with 20 stakes' wins including 11 Group 1 winners.





“We had a nice party last night
for all the staff at Matamata,” he said. “It was great that we were able to
congratulate everyone and thank them all for a huge season. Although it was a
shortened season, to finish up winning the premiership with 101 wins in New
Zealand, and three Group 1 wins in Australia, was a great achievement.





“Right now, we've got two of our senior team Ashley and Craig with horses in Sydney, and Paul joined with a support crew of three in Christchurch, the team is working extremely hard and long hours at Matamata. And it's great that they're getting these sorts of results.”





Quattro Quinta was strapped by Katija Cherrie.

















Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz


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