Te Akau Season - Stakes' Win 18 (NZ) of 30

18 July, 2024

Te Akau Season - Stakes' Win 18 (NZ) of 30


July sees the final month of our phenomenal 2023/24 racing season.  

As we like to do at this time of the year, we now reflect every day on our Group/Listed performers of the 'season that was' - and there were plenty!  In fact 30 across New Zealand and Australia, with nine at Group 1 level.

Te Akau's track record in the Group 1 Levin Classic is one the stable is immensely proud of - in fact in 2022, champion mare Imperatriz led a home a stable first four in this important event for 3YO's, while last year it was a stable quinella.

It was another Te Akau purchased and trained filly this year who claimed line honours -  Quintessa showed spirit and tenacity in her very valuable Group 1 victory and also laid an important path for the remainder of the season - one that would see her more than hold her own in Australia ...

True to her determined racing demeanour, Quintessa (3 f Shamus Award – Chaquinta, by High Chaparral) provided the stable with a hat-trick in the $500,000 Cambridge Stud Levin Classic (Gr. 1, 1600m) on 13 January at Trentham.

Cementing a hat-trick in her first three starts with victory in the Gold Trail Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m) and second in both starts since, including the Auckland Guineas (Gr. 2, 1400m) on Boxing Day at Pukekohe, Quintessa extended her record to four wins with an all-important Group One victory.

Owned by the Te Akau Awarded Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Quintessa was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM as a yearling for $170,000 at the 2022 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Wentwood Grange, and has won nearly $640,000 in stakes money.

She provided the new training partnership of Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson with its third Group One this season, the 33rd for Walker, and stable rider Opie Bosson ONZM his 96th.

Te Akau formed the quinella a year ago, when Romancing The Moon (El Roca) beat Skew Wiff (Savabeel), which followed the first four a year earlier when Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) won, having previously won the Levin Classic in 2018 with Age Of Fire (Fastnet Rock) and Hall Of Fame (Savabeel) in 2017. 

Winning the Levin Classic for his fifth time, Bosson had Quintessa perfectly spotted in midfield, presented at an opportune moment on straightening, and she fought hardest in a blanket finish to score by a long-head. 

“My filly did start easing up a bit once she hit the front, but she is tough,” Bosson said. “I could see some out wide, but I was hoping she’d put her head down at the right time.

“The lead pony could probably beat her in a gallop at home, but she always steps up on race day and feels good when she’s galloping. 

“I’m just blessed to have this job that I’ve got with Te Akau. David (Ellis) buys some amazing horses for me to ride and he’s been pretty active buying yearlings this year. He said to me (jokingly) if I can’t win a Golden Slipper on one of them I should give up. So, we’ll see how we go in a couple of year’s time.”

Mark Walker said: “It was a gun ride by Opie, again, he just gets it right so many times in Group One races and so does David Ellis in buying these sort of fillies that win these types of races.

“I met the lady who bred her and kept a share, during the week at the Gold Coast, Linda Huddy (Director Queensland Thoroughbred Owners Association), and she’ll be thrilled today. Cameron George, Stacey Jones and the team who are involved, they’ll be thrilled with the win as well.

“We’ll probably have to look to Australia to further enhance her record, and she’s out of High Chaparral mare that won up to 2700 metres. When Dave bought her the breed wasn’t really going, but it just shows what an athlete he buys.”

Quintessa then finished fourth in the BCD Group Sprint (Gr. 1, 1400m) before heading to the Te Akau stables (Cranbourne) in Australia, and subsequently finished fourth in the Australian Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m), a nostril second in the Alister Clark Stakes (Gr. 2, 2040m) after losing a plate and being galloped on in the running, and was then fourth in the Australian Oaks (Gr. 1, 2400m). 

Currently in training at Matamata, Quintessa is scheduled to trial on 6 August at Te Rapa. 


Te Akau previous wins in the Levin Classic (Gr. 1, 1600m):

2023 - Romancing The Moon (El Roca)

2022 – Imperatriz (I Am Invincible)

2018 – Age of Fire (Fastnet Rock)

2017 – Hall of Fame (Savabeel)


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