Te Akau Season of Success - Another Victory for Class Colt

Another season of success for Te Akau owners draws to a close with 1 August signalling the start of the new 2025/26 edition - 23 Group/Listed wins in total for our team in the season past, four coming from a classy colt who maintained his unbeaten record all season long ...

The rise of Return To Conquer has been nothing short of electrifying, and the two-year-old colt made it three-from-three at stakes' level with a dominant victory in the $150,000 Group 3 Fairview Matamata Slipper (1200m) on 15 February at his home track of Matamata.

Already unbeaten from his first two starts - including a polished debut win in the Listed Counties' Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Pukekohe in November, followed by a powerful performance in the Group 3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m) at Ellerslie - Return To Conquer lined up as the $1.20 favourite and didn’t disappoint.

Settled into stride early under champion jockey Michael McNab, the classy colt was allowed to find his rhythm before easing forward at the 800m to sit just outside his stablemate, He Who Dares. From there, it was a masterclass in acceleration and poise. Return To Conquer surged to the front inside the final 300 metres and, with his trademark tenacity, kept finding to the line.

In a tremendous result for the Te Akau stable and for sire Snitzel, He Who Dares finished second, while the third of the Snitzel trio, To Bravery Born, closed strongly for third, completing a rare black-type trifecta for the team.

On ground rated a Good4, Return To Conquer clocked a smart 1:10.8 for the 1200 metres, with a sizzling final 600m of 34.1. His victory marked Te Akau’s 11th win in the time-honoured Matamata Slipper — a race we last captured with Tokyo Tycoon (Satono Aladdin) in 2023, who went on to claim Champion Two-Year-Old honours.

Owned by the Te Akau 2024 Stallion Breeding Syndicate (managed by Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Return To Conquer was a standout colt purchased by David Ellis CNZM for A$1.3 million at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the renowned draft of Blue Gum Farm.

Unbeaten in all four of his two-year-old starts, Return To Conquer already boasts an impressive résumé including the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) and earnings of $534,750. He has travelled to Australia looking to secure valuable black type in that jurisdiction, and is scheduled to have a jump out very shortly at Cranbourne as his spring campaign begins to take shape.

Te Akau’s Group 3 Matamata Slipper Winners:

2024 - Return To Conquer (Snitzel)

2023 – Tokyo Tycoon (Satono Aladdin)

2021 – Sword of State (Snitzel)

2020 – Need I Say More (No Nay Never)

2019 – Yourdeel (Dundeel)

2018 – Sword of Osman (Savabeel)

2016 – Heroic Valour (Fastnet Rock)

2009 – King’s Ransom (King’s Chapel)

2008 – Minstrel Court (Danehill Dancer)

2005 – Darci Brahma (Danehill)

1995 – Cosma D’or (Dieu D’or)