Te Akau NZ Season Win 139

Te Akau trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson continued the winning form of their South Island stable when Sailing Away (3 g Merchant Navy – Anchovy, by Galileo) won the  $20,000 Maiden 1400 metres on Saturday at Riccarton.

Freshened following three starts in his first campaign, which included a third over 1200 metres at Timaru, Sailing Away finished fifth from a handy position when resuming in the Maiden 1200 metres on 4 April at Ashburton, and took the necessary improvement.

Beginning well from barrier one to idle along in the trail, Sailing Away received a clear passage near the rail and kept mustering under the urgings of stable apprentice Niranjan Parmar, who recorded his 20th win for Te Akau this season and 10th at Riccarton.

In the race named Riccarton Park Function Centre, Sailing Away ran 1400 metres in 1:24.3, last 600m in 34.7 (approx.), and shortened in betting as race favourite to pay $3.80 & $1.70 on the NZ TAB tote.

On course, Mark Walker said: “It was a nice ride of Parmar’s to have him travelling so well in the trail and it’s always good to get a winner for John Galvin and Fortuna Racing.

“He’s been a slower maturing horse than initially expected, but he is out of Galileo mare so he should improve with more time and distance.

“He’s getting that little bit stronger now, that’s the key to him, and Hunter (Durrant) and the team at the Te Akau stables down here at Riccarton have done a really good job with him.”

It was the second victory in a week for the Te Akau/Fortuna Racing partnership, after two-year-old stable-mate Star Shadow (Reliable Man) scored on debut in the 2YO 1300 metres last Saturday at Otaki.

Owned by Fortuna Sailing Away Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin), he was purchased by David Ellis CNZM and Fortuna for $60,000 from the draft of Cambridge Stud at the Karaka 2022 Book 1 Sale.

At the time of purchase, Ellis said: “His sire Merchant Navy was a great racehorse, triple Group One winner by Champion Sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill), and he’s an exciting young stallion. 

“On the dam side, he is out of a Galileo mare, out of a Storm Cat mare, and Kingmambo mare and you can’t get better international blood than that. 

“He was particularly good buying because they’ve gone a bit quiet on the early progeny of Merchant Navy in Australia, but he was just such a good racehorse, with a great pedigree, and we think he’s a big chance as a sire.”

Sailing Away stems from a rather phenomenal international family, with third dam Love Me True (Kingmambo), leaving five-time Group One winning stallion Duke Of Marmalade (Danehill), a European Champion that won from 1400m – 2400m, Champion Three-Year-Old and The Derby (Gr. 1, 2400m) winner Ruler Of The World (Galileo), along with Group winners Norway (Galileo) and Annus Mirabilis (Montjeu). 

Sailing Away was strapped by Naomi Warrander.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz