Te Akau Cambridge Trials' Report

Te Akau trialled horses at Cambridge on Tuesday 3 September -

Weather: cloudy, track: Slow9, rail: true

Heat 3 Open 935 metres (nose, ½ a length 56.4)

Don'tblamethemusic (6 g Coats Choice - Blame the Music) - Joe Kamaruddin; steadied after being caught three wide, six lengths 600m, and worked home solidly on ground a touch testing for him.

A winner of his first two starts, and five from 14 in total, he was purchased as a yearling by David Ellis for $22,000 at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock South Island Sale, from the Three Valleys draft, and owned by the Te Akau Musical Syndicate. Don'tblamethemusic has a Northern Dancer cross, inbreeding to Nureyev on the dam side and a Zabeel (Sir Tristram) influence as sire of his grand-dam Noubeel.

Heat 4 Open 935 metres (½ a head, 1 ¼ lengths 56.1)

Weaponry  (4 g Declaration of War - Cat Shmea) - Joe Kamaruddin; began well from the outside gate but restrained for cover, six lengths 600m, circled widest and although not making a lot of ground was under a nice hold and travelling well. 

Weaponry was debut winner last November, won up in grade next time out, before finishing third in the Gore Guineas (Listed, 1335m) and culminated his five-start campaign winning the Southland Guineas (Listed, 1600m). From the draft of Curraghmore Stud, purchased by David Ellis for $140,000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, and owned by the Te Akau Weaponry Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM). He is from the first crop of a stallion that was very impressive when winning the Queen Anne Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Royal Ascot.

Heat 16 Maiden 4YO & Up 800 metres (2 ½ lengths, short head 48.0)

Ocean Star (4 g Ocean Park - Star of Gibraltar) - Joe Kamaruddin; worked up keenly on the pace and sustained his run for third without coming off the bridle. 

Owned by the Te Akau Ride the Wave Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), purchased by David Ellis for $90,000 from the Monovale Farm draft at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale. From the second crop of quadruple Group 1 winner and New Zealand Horse of the Year Ocean Park (Thorn Park), his dam, Star of Gibraltar (Danehill), has left five individual winners of 15 races, including stakes winner and multiple Group Three placed Tukiyo (Haradasun) in Australia.

Heat 19 Maiden 3YO 935 metres (1 ¾ lengths, ½ a head 58.4)

Vamos Bebe (3 f I Am Invincible - Hurtle Myrtle) - Troy Harris; was back and wide from the outside gate, six lengths 600m, tracked up behind runners into the straight and never clear in finishing close up. 

In training for Brent & Cherry Taylor (Trelawney Stud), by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), the leading sire last season in Australia with 184 winners, from Hurtle Myrtle (Dane Shadow), winner of the Myer Classic (Gr. 1, 1600m), Dane Ripper Stakes (Gr. 2, 1400m) and Sapphire Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m). 

Heat 20 Maiden 3YO 935 metres (short head, nose 58.6)

Vicenza (3 f Sacred Falls - Tonic) - Michael McNab; steadied from the outside barrier to settle last, on the bridle and five lengths 600m, quickened on straightening to pierce between runners and finish in a three-way photo for first. 

Bred and owned by Paul Ryan, from the first crop of quadruple Group 1 winner Sacred Falls (O'Reilly), out of triple stakes winning mare Tonic (Blues Traveller), who was owned and raced by Ryan. South Island Filly of the Year in 2003, ridden in two of her three stakes victories by Paul Richards, she has already left five individual winners of 22 races.

Heat 22 Maiden 4YO & Up 935 metres (short head, 1 ¾ lengths 58.3)

Man Oh Man (4 g Reliable Man - Lumir) - Joe Kamaruddin; was three wide off the pace, five lengths 600m, and not asked for much in a quiet trial. 

In training for owner/breeders Gerard Peterson, Brad Peterson, and Penny Vuglar, he stems from an unraced Encosta De Lago mare, half-sister to eight-time Group 1 winner Mahogany (Last Tycoon) who earned $3.6 in prize money. He has the pedigree to develop into a nice staying horse, with Lumir already leaving five individual of 13 races to 2250 metres.

Back