Te Akau Racing Owners' Event

Jeff Dore writes:

Te Akau celebrated another successful Owner's Day on Monday November 24 at the stables in Matamata.

David Ellis, the inspirational leader and principal of Te Akau, opened proceedings with a warm welcome to a large team of owners which included guest speaker Sir Peter Vela, and other industry identities: Sir Patrick Hogan, Garry Chittick, Nelson and Sue Schick, Petrea Vela, Victoria Vela, Danny Rolston, Matt Cameron, Dr. Douglas Black, and Paul & Cushla Smithies.

The event was held on the back of a memorable weekend for Ellis, which saw his DE brand carried to victory by Windborne (2 f Darci Brahma - Sweet Dreams Baby, by Van Nistelrooy), for Fortuna Syndications (Mgr: John Galvin), in the Murdoch Newell Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Avondale. And just shy of completing a notable double for the brand, Show No Emotion (Pins) finished a narrow margin second at the same meeting.

Windborne paraded looking a picture during the afternoon, along with two colts from the recently completed New Zealand Bloodstock Read to Run Sale: 2 c Savabeel - Royal Show, by Deputy Governor and 2 c Fastnet Rock - Apple Charlotte, by Royal Applause.

Ellis regaled in recalling some of the Te Akau legends that filled the very boxes that surrounded the audience. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is the happiest place in the world for me,” said Ellis. “In that corner box there used to be Darci Brahma (Danehill) [named by the Vela sisters]: champion two-year-old, champion three-year-old, champion four-year-old. It doesn't matter the track conditions, or the distance, the Darci's keep winning. He's had a champion two-year-old, an Oaks winner, weight-for-age horses and they are great to train - they eat and work well.

“In the next box was King's Chapel (King of Kings): champion three-year-old, champion weight-for-age horse and a sire at stud after winning $1m of prize money for his owners. The next box housed champion two-year-old Maroofity (Maroof), Distinctly Secret (Distinctly North) was in that box, Burgundy (Redoute's Choice) was in that box, Rock ‘n' Pop (Fastnet Rock) was in this one, Tell a Tale (Tale of the Cat) was over there, Kindacross (Cape Cross) was in the next one - all champion horses that provided us and the owners an enormous amount of thrills.

“In the box over here, to my left, was the great mare Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago) who won over $4m in prize money (a record amount won by a horse in NZ).

In thanking the owners, Ellis said: “A stable can only be as strong as its owners and we are thrilled to have the quality and enthusiasm of the staunch and loyal owners that we have at Te Akau. We value your involvement and it is great to have you as part of this team.

Also of recent time, the Te Akau stables performed meritoriously during NZ Cup & Show Week in Christchurch, where the year older sister of Windborne, Darci's Dream (Darci Brahma) finished runner-up in the 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) and Rockfast (Fastnet Rock) was second in the 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m). While on the undercard at the meeting, Wolfwhistle (O'Reilly) kept a winning streak intact with a stakes victory, Bronte Lass (Stravinsky) won and Madame Jamai (Minstrel Court) won as well.

“Te Akau's record in the Guineas races is the best in the history of New Zealand racing, with seven wins in the last seven years,” said Ellis. “And we intend, and will be planning to go better than our two seconds this year, next season.

Ellis also introduced, as the newest member of the Te Akau team, Julia Rose Ellis. Julia has just completed two years with the Auckland Racing Club and joins in a role of taking the communications and technology areas to the next level.

Ellis said: “Both of our stables (NZ & Singapore) are achieving great results. Already this season, Jason (Bridgman) has recorded three black type wins and remains in the top four on the trainer premiership despite many of the Te Akau horses going to Singapore. While in Singapore, where they are trained by Mark Walker, our horses have already past the $2m in earnings. Last season, Mark finished second in the premiership and hardly a weekend goes by without a winner and he has a very strong team to race next season [commencing Jan. 1].

“We've had so many examples of horses that have travelled to Singapore and certainly eclipsed any type of stakes they could have won here. It is a terrific alternative for our owners,” said Ellis.

Ellis extended an apology for Mark Walker being unable to attend the function. He said Mark passed on his best wishes and that he was looking forward to catching up with everybody in January at the Karaka sales.

“Today, Te Akau is a 4000-acre farming business at Te Akau, with racing stables in Matamata and Singapore. It employs 75 people full-time and the entire enterprise is administered at Te Akau Stud (40 minutes from Huntly). 800 acres is dedicated to my equine business, where we spell, break in, pre-train and agist broodmares, foals, and weanlings. Our specialty is racing.

Having already purchased and syndicated yearlings for the past 33 years, Ellis said how excited he was to have already received his yearling catalogue for the upcoming Karaka sales, commencing Jan. 26, and the busy period between December and March which encompasses pedigree research and yearling inspections.

Sir Peter Vela: owner of Pencarrow Stud and New Zealand Bloodstock, and one of the all-time authorities on thoroughbred and breeding:

Sir Peter also extended a welcome and firstly mentioned, having heard some of the Te Akau statistics mentioned, the achievements of David Ellis in purchasing colts that had gone on to stand at stud in New Zealand.

Sir Peter, who spends a lot of the year in Europe, and attends many of the international race meetings and sales, reflected on some highlights of the European racing season and on a recent reading which revealed racing to be a ‘challenging but seductive business and above all else it's fun. And that you enjoy it more and more as you get older'.

“The European sales this year have been astronomical,” said Sir Peter. “I see a number of vendors and breeders here, and if any of it follows through here then you will be delighted. Just the other day we finished with a foal by Frankel (Gallileo) being sold for €1.8m and a month earlier Sheikh Mohammed bought a foal by Dubawi (Dubai Millienium) out of Ouija Board (Cape Cross), privately, for a rumoured £4m (NZ$8m).

“So, the market is certainly strong. The Tattersalls Sales in October, their premier book, about the same as our K1 book in the Premier Session, grossed just under $80m guineas (NZ$180m) - averaging $234,000 guineas (about NZ$500,000).

Sir Peter joked that David (Ellis) had received his yearling catalogue before he received his and that it put into perspective the importance in which he is held in the industry.

“In the upcoming Karaka sales, we have 137 sires represented in the 1364 yearlings we will offer between January 26 and February 1,” said Sir Peter. “Amongst them will be the last two horses by Zabeel (Sir Tristram) that are offered at auction in New Zealand. And while that will be a sad day, we can reflect on the might and influence of the great horse.

“I'm biased, I think New Zealand is the best place to breed a horse and has the best horseman, and that we are gifted with the ability to grow grass, but if you need any convincing: 20% of the group one races last year in Australia were won by New Zealand horses. And while not a compelling statistic on its own, until you realise that we made up only 6% of their racing population. In the past four years, 37% of group one winners that came out of a sale came from New Zealand. Bearing in mind that we have a foal crop of around 4,000 and Australia has 24,000, we produced 37% of the group one winners,” said Sir Peter.

The day was organised by Karyn Fenton-Ellis, who provided a marvellous occasion and was also, as co-breeder of Windborne, sharing in the recent success.

Recap of performances:

Te Akau has had over 1300 winners including over 125 stakes winners.

• 27 Group 1 wins in NZ and Australia.


• All-time record for stakes' earnings in a season by a stable in NZ.


• Group 1 Kelt Capital Stakes, now known as the Spring Classic, more than any other stable - 3 times.


• Seven Group 1 Guineas races in the past ten years.


• All-time record of 2YO winners in a single season.


• Trained the highest ever domestic stakes winner in NZ racing history: Princess Coup.


• Won five Trainers' Premierships.


• Four Champion 3YOs of the Year.


• Five NZ Bloodstock Filly of the Year title winners - three of these consecutively.


• Four Champion 2YOs of the Year.


• Two Champion Sprinter/Milers of the Year.


• One Champion Middle Distance Horse of the Year.


• Champion Stayer of the Year. Horse of the Year here in NZ, and Polytrack Horse of the Year in Singapore.