Te Akau Busy at Gold Coast Sale

Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM is on hand at the Magic Millions 2021 Gold Coast National Yearling Sale (1 - 3 June).

“We've seen some very nice horses during our inspections and we intend to buy a couple, maybe a colt and a filly, but we will wait and see how strong the sale,” he said. “If we're patient, there should be some good buying opportunities when the sale starts tomorrow (Tuesday).

Ellis has been leading buyer for the past 16 years at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Series. But success has not stopped there as his acquisitions from the Gold Coast Yearling Sales attest: Princess Coup (Encosta de Lago), Tell A Tale (Tale of the Cat), Costa Viva (Encosta De Lago), and Integrate (Iglesia), to name a few.  Princess Coup (below) and Costa Viva (second below) both were Group 1 winners who were NZB Filly of the Year title winners in their season.

No horse won more in domestic stakes than Princess Coup ($3.1 million - $4.1 total). She was named Champion 3YO, NZB Filly of the Year, Champion Middle Distance Performer (twice) and Champion Stayer before selling as a broodmare for $3m in Australia.

Similarly, Ellis bought Group One performer Integrate from the Gold Coast Sale, costing $11,000 she won almost $700,000 before being sold for a large sum to Japan.

While 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) winner Tell A Tale and 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) winner and NZB Filly of the Year Costa Viva were both graduates of Gold Coast Yearling Sales - the latter subsequently selling as a broodmare for $400,000 in Australia.

Unable to attend because of Covid-19 in 2020, the most recent purchase from the national sale by Ellis was a Contributer (High Chaparral) filly in 2019. Named Campionessa, she won her first two starts and recently spelled after two fourths.

In January at Gold Coast Yearling Sale 2020, Ellis eyed and purchased Sword of State (2 c Snitzel - In the Vanguard, by Encosta De Lago - main picture). Arguably the best two-year-old to race this season in New Zealand, Sword of State (Snitzel) won four of his five starts including the Sistema Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m).

At the same sale he purchased Imperatriz (2 f I Am Invincible - Berimbau, by Shamardal - below), who made it two from two in the Eclipse Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m) on 1 January at Ellerslie.

“We have to be pleased with the results from yearlings we've bought on the Gold Coast,” Ellis said. “Generally, we haven't bought more than two or three at each sale but among them have been two Fillies of the Year, an Oaks' winner, and 1000 and 2000 Guineas' winners.

“The two-year-olds this season, Sword of State and Imperatriz, showed plenty of natural ability and we've got more from that sale that will race as three-year-olds and they're pretty exciting too.”

In a record-breaking season for Te Akau Racing, that includes the fastest 100, most stakes' wins, most wins in a season, and highest earnings, horses purchased by Ellis have continued to shine.

Of the 83 individual winners, Ellis purchased 58 (70%) for a strike rate of 3.0 by those that won during a season, under trainer Jamie Richards - an excellent overall strike rate of 4.8.