Te Akau Season of Success - Fabulous Finale Francee

As we welcome the new 2025/26 racing season, we hope you have enjoyed our month-long reflection on the 23 Group/Listed winners the stable has produced in the season past - our final cameo belongs to Francee - a breathtaking win, and the first Kiwi stakes' win for a recently-arrived rider ...

Premiership leading trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson recorded their 18th New Zealand stakes' victory this season when Francee (5 m Iffraaj – Calveen, by Canny Lad) won the $80,000 Listed James Bull Rangitkei Cup (1600m) on 17 May at Trentham.

The season has been highlighted with Group One wins by Captured By Love in the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas, and two-year-olds Return To Conquer in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes and La Dorada in the Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes, while La Dorada also won the Karaka Millions 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m), and Damask Rose won both the Karaka Millions 3YO (Restricted Listed, 1600m) and inaugural running of the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (Restricted Listed, 1500m).

When winning on Champions Day (8 March) at Ellerslie, with overall stakes of $8.2 million, Francee secured a $70,000 Pearl Series' bonus in addition to the $69,000 winning stake. She had since finished third again at Ellerslie, and closed belatedly for fifth in the delayed Listed Anzac Mile on 27 April at Wanganui.

Given her recent form at Ellerslie, where racing for high stakes has been very competitive, and having shown to handle some give in ground, Francee carried minimum weight (53kg) and the team always believed she would prove competitive.

Ridden by Brazilian jockey Bruno Queiroz (24), who had previously ridden winners for Te Akau in Singapore, Francee settled handily from barrier four, saved ground on the inside of runners as the field fanned wide turning for home, was level with the leaders 200m out and, in a desperate finish, she had her all-important nose in front on the line. 

On Soft6 footing, Francee ran 1600 metres in 1:37.0 and paid $11.70 & $3.20 on the NZ TAB tote.

Bred and owned by Haunui Farm boss and Auckland Thoroughbred Racing deputy chairman Mark Chitty, Francee is out of Group 1 Easter Handicap winner Calveen. 

By internationally acclaimed stallion Iffraaj (Zafonic), who shuttled to Haunui Farm, her dam Calveen won ten races and over $500,000 in stakes, and along with grand-dam Calvinia (Varick), became a very good producer.

Francee, a half-sister to winner of five races and Group Three placed Delveen (Encosta de Lago), is the sixth individual winner from Calveen, while Calvinia left nine individual winners of 39 races and over $1.5 million in stakes. 

Francee carries a cross of highly influential stallion Mr. Prospector (Raise A Native), through the sire line of Iffraaj and dam line of Calveen.  This very important black type win, and our last of the season, will be invaluable for her future broodmare prospects.