Te Akau Eyes All Star Mile

racing.com reports:

New Zealand is set for a major first-time presence in the $5 million
All-Star Mile at Caulfield after Te Akau Racing nominated 10-time Group 1
winner Melody Belle and the emerging Te Akau Shark for the March
feature.

The pair, which are the two highest rating horses in New Zealand,
joined the highly-promising three-year-old Kiwi galloper Catalyst in the
nominations list for the race where the public will select 10 of the 15
runners.

The trio are all highly popular in New Zealand and with the Kiwis
gaining a vote for the first time this year, it is certainly possible
all three may make the final line-up on March 14 before the final five
wildcards are announced.

While a maiden success at racing's highest level has just eluded Te
Akau Shark, who is part-owned by former rugby league great Paul Gallen,
the five-year-old enhanced his growing reputation during this year's
Spring Racing Carnival.

Having finished runner-up - by the narrowest of margins - in the
Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m), he followed up with an eye-catching
third in the Cox Plate, where he stormed home after starting from the
outside barrier.

Those performances elevated his international rating to 118, two ahead of his stablemate Melody Belle, who claimed an astonishing 10th Group 1 success in the TAB Empire Rose Stakes held over The All-Star Mile distance of 1600 metres on Victoria Derby day.

One week later, the five-year-old mare returned to Flemington and
lost no admirers when she charged home late to grab second place behind
Magic Wand in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m).

"The All-Star Mile is a great concept and we're excited to be part of
it by nominating Te Akau Shark and Melody Belle," said trainer Jamie
Richards.

"They both deserved a spell in the paddock after their spring
campaigns. The Shark came back into the stable this week and Melody
Belle will return on Monday.

"Te Akau Shark will most likely kick-off in an open sprint here in
New Zealand, and Melody Belle will probably have a few trials at home
with a view to starting her off in the Futurity Stakes at Caulfield.

"Melody Belle is a proven Group 1 performer and the Shark has plenty
of ‘X Factor', so we're very excited about their autumn campaigns. Both
horses did us proud during the spring, and we'd like to think they now
have enough fans both here and in Australia to get into the top 10.

"It's a great reflection of New Zealand racing that we have three
high-profile horses entered for The All-Star Mile, and if they got
there, I'm sure all three would have a great chance of winning the race.

Nominations for the 2020 edition will close at 12pm on Thursday,
January 9, with the voting period scheduled to open one week later on 16
January.

The Kiwi stars join Australia's standout miler of this year's Spring
Racing Carnival, dual Group 1 winner Fierce Impact, and Queensland's
popular Caulfield Guineas (1600m) runner-up Alligator Blood among the
early entries for The All-Star Mile.

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