Te Akau Avondale Trials' Report

Te Akau Racing trainers Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards took a team of horses to trial on Tuesday 22 August at Avondale.

The weather was fine, with a chilly breeze prevalent but the footing was again quite testing, and while horses were not asked to do too much because of it, the outing played its part for both educational purposes and bringing fitness on towards racing.

Track: Heavy10, rail out 13 metres

Heat 1 Open 1000 metres (1 ¼ lengths, head 1:06.3)

Cousteau (3 c Exceed And Excel - Maritime) - Tegan Newman; got an easy time in front, had a three-length advantage passing the 300m and kept up a strong gallop under minimal urging to win very well.

Very consistent, with a win, two seconds and a third from five starts as a two-year-old, he paraded in very good order, looked focussed on the job at hand and trialled accordingly.  Cousteau was purchased by David Ellis for $230,000 in January 2016 at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale. A half-brother to Group Two & Three winner Charlie Boy (Myboycharlie), he is a smart looking colt and appears set for another good campaign.

Tiffany's Time (4 m Alamosa - Tinsel Time) - Opie Bosson; was patiently ridden in fifth, five lengths off the pace at the 600m and not asked for too much in the heavy ground when working home one off the rail in a line of horses.

Consistent in four starts before winning her Maiden, she was bred by Greg Tomlinson (Nearco Stud) and offered by Bradbury Park at the 2015 NZB Select Yearling Sale where David Ellis bought her for $55,000.

Heat 2 Open 1000 metres (head, 2 lengths 1:09.0)

Astrid (6 m Pins - Astralita) - Tegan Newman; was easy early to settle last of the seven runners, tracked up on the inner and finished off nicely for fourth.

David Ellis bought Astrid for $80,000 at the 2013 NZB Premier Yearling Sale. She has beaten some good fields in winning five races, including two from five when last campaigned, and is a mare that just continues to improve with age and maturity.

Gold Fever (3 f Savabeel - Gold Rocks) - Opie Bosson; began well to dictate terms in front and held together in the testing ground she was never asked for too much.

Gold Fever had a stellar juvenile season: registering three wins and three thirds from six starts. Her win in the Matamata Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m) and placing in the Sistema Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) earned her a nomination for the Champion Two-Year-Old title.  Owned by the Te Akau Gold Fever Syndicate, she was purchased by David Ellis for $110,000, from the draft of Sledmere Stud (for Waikato Stud), at the 2016 Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Heat 3 Open 1000 metres (¾ lengths, 10 lengths 1:06.4)

Chance To Dance (8 g Teofilo - Crystal Ballet) - Wiremu Pinn; sat outside leading stable-mate Hushed, quickened into a dual when challenged at the 300m and kept up a very competitive gallop for second.

David Ellis bought Chance to Dance (Teofilo) for $260,000 at the inaugural Inglis Chairman's Sale of Elite Racing Prospects on 30 March this year, at the Inglis Newmarket complex in Sydney and he is owned by the Fortuna Chance To Dance Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin).  Soon after being purchased he contested the $2m Sydney Cup (Gr. 1, 3200m) on 8 April at Randwick, finishing second in what was subsequently declared a non-race because of a skirmish just past the winning post on the first lap. He then finished fifth in the rerun a fortnight later, two hard runs in a couple of weeks.

His trial performance confirmed that he is coming up really well and he will build towards his first serious assignment in the weight-for-age $250,000 Livamol Classic (Gr. 1, 2040m) on the third day (Oct. 7) at Hastings.

Hushed (7 g Don Eduardo - Danewhisper) - Michael McNab; lobbed along in front and was never let off the bridle in the straight, on ground that was too testing for him.

Bred by Malcolm Shinn, Dr. Ron Boet and Anne Hadfield, the latter two sharing in his ownership with a group of five nurses (The Carer's Syndicate), Hushed has won six of his sixteen starts, finished second on four occasions, and now gearing up for another stint over middle-distances.

Heat 4 2YO 600 metres (1 ½ lengths, head 37.2)

Al Hasa (2 c Exceed And Excel - Oasis Rose) - Opie Bosson; sat outside the leader, quickened to an advantage mid-straight and showed to be very professional, while exhibiting a good action, winning with his ears pricked.

Owned by the Te Akau 2017 Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Al Hasa was purchased by David Ellis for $625,000, from the draft of Cambridge Stud, at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale.  The first foal of the immensely talented filly Oasis Rose (Oasis Dream), he boasts an outstanding pedigree, carries a nomination for the $3.5m Golden Slipper (Gr. 1, 1200m) in March next year at Rosehill Racecourse in Sydney, and with patience he certainly has the makings of a two-year-old performer.

Te Akau Dragon (2 c Power - Cool Diamond) - Michael McNab; was third in running, behind his two stable-mates, and did everything right when running home solidly for second.

Owned by the New Zealand Chinese Jockey Club & Te Akau Diamond Power Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Te Akau Dragon was purchased by David Ellis for $120,000, from the draft of Cambridge Stud, at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale.  From a young mare, and closely related to one of the best two-year-olds last season in Gift of Power (Power), there was plenty of encouragement to be taken from his first trial.

2 c Darci Brahma - Pins ‘n' Needles - Wiremu Pinn; led the field of three from barrier one and kept up a strong gallop for third.

Owned by Mr. Ronald Lau, he was purchased by David Ellis for $75,000, from the Oaks Stud draft, at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale.  An athletic colt, his dam has also left Asavant, a very good filly that won one of the best races in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series: the Warstep Stakes (Listed, 2000m). She in turn has produced Avantage (Fastnet Rock), a filly that Ellis bought in January this year for $210,000 at the NZB Premier Yearling Sale, from the Oaks Stud draft, and she looked the goods when finishing on the bridle in second at her trials debut on 1 August at Te Teko.

Heat 7 Maiden 3YO 800 metres (long head, ¾ lengths 51.1)

Full Of Grace (3 g O'Reilly - Tuesday's Child) - Dennis Tan; pushed up to hold the rail in front from barrier one, travelled well, quickened when asked at the 300m and kept up a strong gallop for third.
Having his first trial this time in, he showed to have improved for a spell and there was plenty of upside to be taken from his performance.

David Ellis purchased him as a yearling for $110,000 at the 2016 NZB Premier Sale. Both Ellis and Cambridge Stud master Sir Patrick Hogan, who offered the colt for sale, loved him as a type and being out of a Zabeel (Sir Tristram) mare felt he had the makings to train on as a three-year-old and older horse. He is bred on the same cross as champion mare Silent Achiever (O'Reilly), and from the family of champion stallion Redoute's Choice (Danehill).

Heat 12 Maiden 3YO 1000 metres (head, 1 ¼ lengths 1:06.0)

Mongolianconqueror (3 g Ocean Park - Queen Rania) - Michael McNab; was caught wide early, steadied to sixth, tracked up stylishly rounding the home turn and continued finding the line solidly for third.

Purchased for $130,000 by David Ellis from the draft of Kiltannon Stables at the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sales, he continues to improve with trials experience and looks set to show the benefits as a three-year-old.

Heat 13 Maiden 3YO 1000 metres (dead-heat, 1 ¼ lengths 1:06.5)

Organza (3 g Pentire - Organdy) - Opie Bosson; worked up second and kept up a determined gallop for third, despite the heavy ground appearing a touch beyond him.

Purchased by David Ellis for $60,000 at the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, from the draft of Rich Hill Stud, he is owned by the Te Akau Organza Syndicate. A half-brother to Easter Handicap (Gr. 1, 1600m) winner Time Keeper (Stravinsky), he is from a family that appreciates better footing, longer distances, and continues to improve as they mature.

3 g Azamour - Franny - Michael McNab; stood in the gates and missed the start by five lengths, made ground to tack onto the bunch at the 600m and ran home without further urging.

In training for the Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry (NZ), he has a truly international pedigree. His unraced dam is by champion UK miler Selkirk, grand-dam by world champion sire Sadler's Wells (second only in stakes winners (323) to Danehill (349)), and third dam by English Derby winner Shirley Heights.

Heat 14 Maiden 3YO 1000 metres (1 ½ lengths, 4 lengths 1:06.9)

3 f Commands - Donna Sienna - Michael McNab; began smartly, steadied to third, and although not suited to quickening in the ground she still rounded off solidly for fourth and was strong past the post.

Purchased as a weanling at the 2015 Gold Coast National Weanling Sale, she is in training for owner Tony Rider.  Although unsuited to the going, rider Michael McNab reported that her work was very good after the line and he had some difficulty in pulling her up down the back straight - positive signs.

Silver Missile (3 g Smart Missile - Ocelot) - Opie Bosson; trailed from an inside gate, but was another that found the going too testing in order to quicken and finished in midfield.

By a champion first season sire in Australia, Smart Missile (Fastnet Rock), he was purchased by David Ellis for $140,000 at the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Arrowfield Stud, and owned by the Te Akau Silver Missile Syndicate.

Heat 15 Maiden 3YO 1000 metres (½ a length, ½ a head 1:06.8)

Te Akau Shark (3 g Rip Van Winkle - Bak Da Chief) - Opie Bosson; tracked along nicely in fourth, angled wide around the home turn and a staying type in the making he got going stylishly late in the piece for third.

Purchased by David Ellis for $230,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock 2016 Ready to Run Sale, from the draft of Lyndhurst Farm, he displays precocity for a young horse from a strong staying family, shows good competitiveness to race, and has the makings of a lovely three-year-old staying type.

Lady Zeraph (3 f Makfi - Zatiger) - Tegan Newman; turned her head sideways as the gates opened, missing the start by eight lengths but the rider never panicked and she continued to make up plenty of ground near the rail.

She was purchased by David Ellis for $120,000 at the 2016 NZB Premier Yearling Sale, from the draft of Wellfield Stud, who raced her dam, Zatiger (Zabeel), an impressive three-time winner over a mile that in turn has already left Billy Britain (One Cool Cat), a winner of five races up to 2200 metres in Singapore, and Tiger Tim (Alamosa) who has won four and shapes as a notable staying horse in New Zealand.

Heat 16 Maiden 4YO & Up 1000 metres (3 lengths, 1 length 1:07.1)

More Than Fast (5 g Fastnet Rock - Morgalicious) - Dennis Tan; tracked a line of three to the home turn, switched inside for a run at the 300m and although in the worst of the ground he fought strongly to the line for third.

Surely the most consistent Maiden galloper in the country, with four seconds from as many starts, he looks even stronger this time in and ready to break through when stepped out on better footing. A lovely type of horse bought by David Ellis for $200,000 at the 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, from the draft of Curraghmore Stud, he has experienced his share of setbacks along the way but keeps giving indication of good things to come.