Te Akau Avondale Trials' Report

Te Akau Racing trainers Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards took horses to trial on Tuesday 27 February at Avondale.

Weather: cloudy, Track: Good3, rail: out 13 metres

Heat 15 2YO 800 metres (neck, neck 46.6)

Byzantine (2 c Savabeel - Baradevi) - Chelsea Burdan; tracked forward to trail, angled three off for room at the 250m and ran home strongly for second.

Owned by the Te Akau 2017 Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Byzantine was purchased by David Ellis for $200,000 from the draft of Little Avondale Stud at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale.

Ellis said: “He is a beautiful colt that we were exceptionally pleased to get for the price, as we had been trying to buy from this family, and there is just so much class on the dam side.”

His grand-dam, Sharvasti (Montjeu), won the Avondale Cup (Gr. 1, 2200m) and finished second in two other group ones. Third dam, Vedodara (Kreisler) won the Hawkes Bay Guineas (Listed, 1400m) and finished fourth in the 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m).

Heat 17 2YO 800 metres (1 ¼ lengths, 1 ¾ lengths 47.7)

Prise De Fer (2 g Savabeel - Foiled) - Dennis Tan; was awkwardly away from the inside gate, steadied inner, and displayed good stretch late into fourth.

Owned by the Te Akau En Guarde Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), he was purchased by David Ellis for $100,000, from the draft of Trelawney Stud, at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale.

“He was incredible buying and we had a lot more money to spend on him,” Ellis said.

“He is a lovely example of Savabeel: a good, strong colt, dark bay, bred by Raffles Farm who is doing a fantastic job.”

By the champion stallion in New Zealand, Savabeel (Zabeel), from a Snippets mare that has already left a very good stakes winner of eight races in Belong to Many (Belong to Me). Snippets, the sire of outstanding Waikato Stud stallion Pins, has left plenty of stakes winners and continues to be regarded as a very promising broodmare sire.

Heat 23 2YO 1000 metres (head, neck 1:03.4)

2 g Delago Deluxe - Avail - Opie Bosson; began smartly from the outside gate, steadied for cover, fifth at the 600m, and angled clear at the 300 he worked home without urging for fourth.

He was purchased by David Ellis at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, for $155,000, from the draft of Regal Farm.  A really nice horse, beautifully balanced, athletic, and very much in the mould of his sire Delago Deluxe (Encosta De Lago). By champion sire Encosta De Lago, Delago Deluxe was sold as a yearling in Australia, becoming an unbeaten Champion 2YO in South Africa, and a group one winner at two and three years of age. His yearlings have sold up to $250,000.

The first foal for the dam, in turn from the Zabeel mare Avabelle, his third dam, Eye Full (Palatable), was a highly regarded winner of 11 races including the Hawkes Bay Cup (Gr. 3, 2200m) and finished second in the then group one New Zealand Cup (3200m).

Heat 26 Maiden 1000 metres (head, 1 ¾ lengths 1:03.1)

Pacific Coast (3 g Snitzel - Malibu Road) - Nik Bakar; sprang the gates to lead from barrier one, trailed 800m, and finished strongly near the rail without being extended for third.

Owned by the Te Akau 2017 Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), he was purchased by David Ellis for $500,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, from the draft of Curraghmore Stud.

A stylish trial winner before racing as a two-year-old, he was subsequently gelded and had a bone chip removed from a fetlock, and now appears ready for a welcome return to the Te Akau racing ranks.

“He is a colt with exquisite balance, very athletic, and has real class,” Ellis said.

By the leading sire in Australia, Snitzel, he boasts a lovely Danzig cross and his pedigree page oozes group performers.

Heat 30 Maiden 1200 metres (1 ¼ lengths, 1 ¼ lengths 1:12.9)

Miss Scandinavia (3 f Smart Missile - Miss Helsinki) - Opie Bosson; was caught three wide in sixth on a competitive pace, nine lengths 600m, before closing stylishly late for third.

Given time following her trials win in November at Matamata, owned by the 2016 Te Akau Scandinavia Syndicate, she was purchased by David Ellis from the draft of Arrowfield Stud at the Sydney Easter Yearling Sale.

She has an exceptional pedigree: grand-dam Miss Finland (Redoute's Choice) was Champion 2YO & 3YO Filly in Australia, and winner of five races at group one level including the Golden Slipper (1200m) and VRC Oaks (2500m).

Her two trials this time have been encouraging and she appears set to resume at the races.