Te Akau Million Trio Get Ready to Rumble

A unique situation is set to play out tomorrow (Saturday) when the last three $1m Karaka Million (Restricted Listed, 1200m) winners: Melody Belle, Avantage and Probabeel race within a 35 minute window at Hastings and Royal Randwick.

Unique also is that Te Akau principal David Ellis purchased all three as yearlings at Karaka, and trainer Jamie Richards has prepared them.

Ellis bought 2017 KM winner, Champion Two-Year-Old, and reigning Horse of the Year Melody Belle for $57,500 at the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale, from the draft of Haunui Farm. Having won 12 of her 22 starts and $1.74 million in prize money for the Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin), she is attempting to record her eighth Group One win in the $200,000 Windsor Park Plate (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Hastings.

Champion Two-Year-Old Avantage, winner of the KM in 2018, and the latest KM victor Probabeel, also a Champion Two-Year-Old nominee (won this year by stable-mate Yourdeel (Dundeel)), both race at Randwick. Avantage, a earlier winner of the Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m), and Birthday Card Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m) in April at Rosehill, contests the $160,000 Bill Ritchie Cup (Gr. 3, 1400m) and Probabeel steps up in the $200,000 Darley Tea Rose Stakes (Gr. 2, 1400m) - third leg of the Princess Series.

Ellis purchased Group One winner Avantage for $210,000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale, from The Oaks Stud draft, and her seven wins from 10 starts have rewarded the Te Akau Avantage Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM) with $1,000,000 in stakes. 

Probabeel, owned by Brendan Lindsay MNZM & Jo Lindsay at Cambridge Stud, was purchased as a yearling by David Ellis for $380,000, from the draft of Waikato Stud, at the 2018 Karaka Book 1 Sale, and her three wins from seven starts have netted $639,000.

All three fillies have shown exceptional ability on the race tracks, an intrinsic instinct and competitiveness for the game, and typify the type of horses Ellis is trying to buy.

“They're three great examples of terrific racehorses and exemplifies the type of horses I'm trying to buy,” Ellis said. “Horses like these three that can win as two-year-olds and go on to be better at three, four, and as five-year-olds, as is the case with Melody Belle who is now five.

“I never go to the sales on the lookout for just a two-year-old type and the Te Akau policy is that we never put pressure on our young horses to get to the races, but rather let them tell us when they're ready and have their natural ability come to the fore. 

“In the case of these three horses, they all showed talent from the outset, which resulted in each of them winning the Karaka Million, but they all certainly had the physical scope and pedigrees to train on and that's what we've seen.

“It's very exciting to have selected and bought these horses along with many others of similar ilk, because it's definitely not easy, and thereafter it's a massive credit to Jamie and all our staff that look after them, ride their work, and also for our owners who are just having the time of their lives with these horses.”

The New Zealand Herald reports:

Jamie Richards thought long and hard before unleashing possibly the most unique three-pronged attack in the long history of New Zealand racing tomorrow.

The Matamata trainer will almost unbelievably line up three Karaka Million winners in the space of 35 minutes tomorrow when Melody Belle starts a red hot favourite in the $200,000 Windsor Park Plate at Hastings and Probabeel and Avantage race either side of that at Randwick.

Considering there have only ever been 12 Karaka Million juvenile winners the fact Richards and Te Akau train 25 per cent of them is some feat. To have all three winners of New Zealand's equal richest race starting within almost half an hour of each other is statistically stunning.

"I didn't even know that, wow," laughed Richards as he got his head around the rather odd achievement last night.

"I am lucky to have three horses like this to train but I didn't realise their races were quite so close.

"We are in for a busy afternoon."

But the triple treat nearly didn't happen after the wet Sydney spring almost saw Richards scratch both Probabeel and Avantage after watching them work in Sydney yesterday morning. Randwick is rated a Heavy9 but Richards is hoping some fine weather and a bit of wind will help the track improve.

"I was going to scratch but after talking to Mark (Walker, Te Akau's Singapore trainer) and people like Henry (Plumptre, racing manager for Probabeel) we decided we were better off starting.

"Probabeel is here to try and get Australian black type and her main aim is the Flight Stakes. We scratch this weekend and we are going into that with one race start and some trials. So while I'd prefer a drier track for her she will start but I don't really know what to expect.

"She is very well and at least we have had to prepare on wet tracks back home but I'll be as interested as anybody to see how they handle it."

Triple threat

Jamie Richards has three Karaka Million winners racing in the space of 35 minutes tomorrow.

1: 4.05pm (NZ time): Probabeel, A$200,000 Tea Rose Stakes, Randwick.

2: 4.30pm: Melody Belle, $200,000 Windsor Park Plate, Hastings.

3: 4.35pm (NZ time): Avantage, $160,000 Bill Ritchie Hcp, Randwick.

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