Te Akau Horses on Exhibition

Te Akau New Zealand trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson have taken some well-credentialed horses for exhibition gallops at Ellerslie on Saturday and Taupo last Wednesday.

Te Akau stakes’ winners Quintessa, Qali Al Farrasha, and What You Wish For, had exhibition gallops  on Saturday at Ellerslie.

A brilliant fresh-up winner in the Group 1 Proisir Plate (1400m) on 6 September at Ellerslie, Quintessa (5 m Shamus Award – Chaquinta, by High Chaparral), with Opie Bosson aboard, worked over 1000 metres with Qali Al Farrasha (5 m Almanzor – Nucleonic, by Burgundy), who was ridden by Warren Kennedy. 

Going together on Soft5 footing, the pair ran 1000m in 60.5, 800m in 47.2, and last 600m in 34.6. 

They are both preparing for the $400,000 Group 1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) next Saturday 27 September at Te Rapa. 

Stable-mate What You Wish For (5 g Embellish – Grand Wish, by Smart Missile) signalled his readiness to resume in the $80,000 Listed Team Wealleans Matamata Cup (1600m) on Saturday 4 October at Matamata.

Ridden by Courtney Barnes, What You Wish For did well to work on terms with triple Group 1 winner Legarto (Proisir), running 1000m in 59.0, 800m in 46.4, and final 600m in 33.7.

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Champion Three-Year-Old finalist and now dual Group 1 winner Quintessa (5 m Shamus Award – Chaquinta, by High Chaparral), won her sole start as a two-year-old, and had a phenomenal three-year-old season, highlighted by winning the Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m), and marked by consistency with three fourths in Group 1 races, including the Australian Guineas (1600m) and Australian Oaks (2400m). She also finished runner-up in both the Group 2 Alistair Clark Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley and Group 2 Auckland Guineas (1400m).

She resumed last season with a terrific victory in the Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield (Melbourne), and kept her unbeaten fresh-up record alive as a two, three, four, and five-year-old, when winning the Group 1 Proisir Plate over 1400m.

Owned by the Te Akau Awarded Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Quintessa was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM as a yearling for $170,000 at the 2022 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Wentwood Grange, and has earnings over $1 million. 

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Placed as a three-year-old in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), Qali Al Farrasha (5 m Almanzor – Nucleonic, by Burgundy) continued her fine form last season with three Group 1 placed performances in the Thorndon Mile (1600m), Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m), and Bonecrusher Stakes (2000m). 

A Te Akau homebred, and year older sister to former stable-mate and South Island Champion Two-Year-Old Nucleozor, Qali Al Farrasha is owned by David Ellis CNZM and David & Matthew Peacocke (Weston Lea Bloodstock). 

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Winner of the Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) in February at Matamata, and placed in the Group 2 Waikato Guineas (2000m), What You Wish For (5 g Embellish – Grand Wish, by Smart Missile) has won four times to 2000 metres. 

Owned by the Te Akau Wish & Win Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), What You Wish For was purchased as a yearling by David Ellis CNZM for $60,000 at the 2022 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Cambridge Stud and has won $221,640 in prize money to date.

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Te Akau trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson also took the opportunity to give Group winners Midnight Blue (So You Think) and Wild Night (Vanbrugh) an exhibition between races on 17 September at Taupo. 

Presented in lovely order, the pair worked over 1000 metres in 60.9, 800m in 47.5, and last 600m in a polished 34.6, on ideal Soft5 footing.

Opie Bosson aboard Wild Night and Craig Grylls on Midnight Blue each reported that they were happy with their mounts.

Wild Night is preparing to resume in the $65,000 Open Handicap 1200 metres next Saturday (27 September) at Te Rapa, and Midnight Blue is aiming at the $80,000 Listed Team Wealleans Matamata Cup (1600m) on Saturday 4 October at Matamata. 

Winner of the Group 2 Sarten Memorial (1400m), Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m), and placed in the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m), Wild Night won his first two starts last season, both over 1300 metres, was unsuccessful contesting three Listed races in Australia, and returned home for a fourth placing in the Group 2 Japan Trophy (1600m).

Winning eight of his 20 starts for owners in the Te Akau Love to Party Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), and $550,995 in prize money, Wild Night was purchased as a yearling by David Ellis CNZM for $50,000 at the Karaka 2021 Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Windsor Park Stud.

Owned by Te Akau Midnight Blue 1 and Te Akau Midnight Blue 2, Midnight Blue was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $92,500 at the Inglis Digital 2023 November (early) Online Sale.

A spritely nine-year-old, Midnight Blue was a former Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) and last season won the Listed Seymour Cup (1600m) in Victoria, and finished second in the Group 3 Taranaki Cup (1800m). His seven wins have amassed over $1 million in earnings. 

Main picture: Wild Night & Midnight Blue at Taupo - www.raceimages.co.nz