Te Akau Horses Honoured at SI Racing Awards

Te Akau Racing was well represented and won three titles at the South Island Racing Awards, held on Friday 13 September in the Nightmarch Room at Riccarton Racecourse.

Te Akau won nine of 13 titles at the recently held Matamata Racing Awards, including its ninth consecutive Matamata Horse of the Year, won by Imperatriz, who also dominated at the 2023-24 New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards held on Sunday 8 September at Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton.

Te Akau won six awards at the national ceremony, with Imperatriz crowned NZ Thoroughbred Horse of the Year, following in the footsteps of Te Akau trained Horse of the Year winners Melody Belle and Probabeel, who each won twice, and previously King’s Chapel.  

At the South Island Awards, Nucleozor (Almanzor) won Champion Two-Year-Old, Talisker (Embellish) won Champion Three-Year-Old, and Perfect Scenario (Iffraaj) won Champion Miler.

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Te Akau had two of the three nominees for South Island Champion Two-Year-Old: Discretion Rules (Alabama Express) and Nucleozor.

Te Akau homebred Nucleozor (2 g Almanzor – Nucleonic, by Burgundy) displayed as much potential as any two-year-old last season in New Zealand, becoming the ninth Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) winner for the stable while remaining unbeaten in three starts. 

Bred and owned by David Ellis CNZM and David & Matthew Peacocke (Westonlea Bloodstock), such was the talent of Nucleozor that he was subsequently sold to race in Hong Kong.

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Te Akau had three of the five nominees for South Island Champion Three-Year-Old: Star Of Justice (Justify), Talisker, and Viva Vienna (All Too Hard).

Talisker (3 g Embellish – Glenkinchie, by Redoute’s Choice) recorded a hat-trick of wins to commence his campaign last season in the South Island, following with a terrific effort for second in the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas (1600m) during Cup Week at Riccarton.

Owned by the Te Akau Classic Edition Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Talisker was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $70,000 at the Karaka 2022 Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Landsdowne Park, and among the first offerings of Te Akau trained 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) winner Embellish (Savabeel), whom Ellis also bought as a yearling at Karaka.

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South Island Champion Miler: Perfect Scenario

An older favourite in the Te Akau stables, Perfect Scenario (6 g Iffraaj – Rosetti Bay, by Pins) had another terrific season. 

A year earlier, Perfect Scenario was a huge winner when coming from last to win the Group 3 White Robe Lodge Weight For Age (1600m) and he repeated the achievement with aplomb to defend the title. 

A tremendous type of horse to own, Perfect Scenario has provided many thrills throughout his career.

Perfect Scenario was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $165,000 at 2019 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Woburn Farm, for owners in the Te Akau Perfection Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

Perfect Scenario resumed his campaign this season a day after the awards, at Riccarton, and ridden by burgeoning apprentice Amber Riddell (a4) he recorded a terrific victory in the $50,000 Pryde’s Easifeed Open Handicap 1200 metres. 

His 10 wins have amassed nearly $400,000 in prize money.

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Te Akau also had finalists in the South Island Poly Track Champion of the Year: Sorcha (Burgundy) and Treaty Of Paris (Tavistock), and Champion Trainer: Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson.

The pair won the Trainer of the Year and Trainers’ Premiership (15th for Te Akau) at the NZ Horse of the Year Awards, with a tally of 169 domestic wins last season, while also recording the most wins (63) by any trainer last season in the South Island.

The 63 wins included 28 at Riccarton, 16 on the poly track at Riccarton, seven at Ashburton, and six at both Timaru and Wingatui, and came at a terrific strike rate of 4.4.

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Te Akau has a tremendous record of training horses in the South Island, highlighted by seven victories in the 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) and six in the 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m).

Reflecting on the Te Akau 2023/24 season in the South Island, and the awards, Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM said: “Karyn and I are just so proud of the performances by the Te Akau horses in the South Island, and the job done by Hunter Durrant who looks after them with our southern team.

“Te Akau has always supported South Island racing. We had stables from 2002 to 2013 at Rangiora, based horses since on the course at Riccarton, and had our team there permanently from the start of last season.

“We had seven stakes' wins last season from our stables at Riccarton. The prize money is just as good in the South Island, it means we can divide our horses and compete in all races around New Zealand, and I think South Island racing benefits and will continue to strengthen with us being there.

“To have the Champion Two-Year-Old and Champion Three-Year-Old is just a wonderful effort, and of course the Champion Miler, Perfect Scenario, has come out and won first-up.”