Te Akau Out to Uphold 2000 Guineas' Record

The Informant writes:

Te Akau Racing has been a dominant force in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas for more than a decade, and trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards will try to extend that spectacular record when Heroic Valour (pictured below) and Hall Of Fame (main picture) line up in tomorrow's (Saturday) $400,000 classic.

The tangerine and blue colours have been carried to 2000 Guineas glory by King's Chapel (2003), Darci Brahma (2005), Tell A Tale (2008), Rock 'N' Pop (2011) and Xtravagant (2015).

For good measure there have also been minor placings with Princess Coup (2006), Minstrel Court (2008), Warhorse (2012), Chambord (2013) and Rockfast (2014).

Xtravagant's win in last year's 2000 Guineas ranks among the most special. He won by an unprecedented eight and a half lengths, breaking the race record with his time of 1:33.59. It was the first Group One success for the new Te Akau training partnership of Autridge and Richards, with the latter just six months into his young career.

“We were very fortunate with what happened last year, it was just amazing,” Richards told The Informant this week. “The way Xtravagant won that day was unbelievable. Obviously Te Akau has a strong record in the 2000 Guineas, and we're hoping that these two boys can maintain it this weekend.”

Heroic Valour, who was bought for $400,000 at the Karaka Premier Sale, began his career with a hiss and a roar. He brilliantly won all of his first four starts, three at stakes level. In the process he became the first of champion sire Fastnet Rock's progeny, either male or female, to win a Group One race as a two-year-old.

After resuming with a superb first-up win in the Northland Breeders' Stakes at Ruakaka, Heroic Valour has suffered his first two defeats with placings in the Gr. 2 Hawke's Bay Guineas and the Listed Barneswood Farm Stakes.

“He's just had a couple of things go against him,” Richards said. “He struck a wet track at Hastings, then at Ashburton he got to the front a bit too soon. But he fought back well that day and he was back in front 100 metres after the line.

“We've been very happy with him since that race. We'll just look to ride him a bit more quietly this time and have the last laugh.”

In contrast, everything has happened much later for Hall Of Fame. Te Akau bought him at the Ready to Run Sale for $230,000, and he won just one of his first four starts. But he has come of age since being sent to Christchurch, winning the Guineas Trial by three and a quarter lengths and the Zacinto Stakes by five.

“He's in great form,” Richards said. “He's had a couple of great confidence-boosting wins. We're really happy with him. He's a pretty natural sort of colt. He should jump and put himself on the speed.

“Hall Of Fame was Matt Cameron's choice after both horses galloped on Tuesday. Michael McNab will ride Heroic Valour - he does a lot of work for us and knows the horse well.”