Te Akau Season - Stakes' Win 26 of 30 - Australia No.8

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.

Not A Single Doubt mare Sans Doute was an ideal candidate for Te Akau's Australian stable - a mare who had shown to prefer short, sharp sprinting distances would, in the team's view, relish the far more numerous sprinting options available to her in Victoria.  

And so it proved - the team was spot on again as the horse known as 'Prue' has now won seven of her 16 starts earning $465,745 in prize money.  In her nine Australian starts, she has recorded four wins (in a row at Flemington including her stakes' victory), three second placings (one at Group 3 level) and a third.  She's certainly loving life in Victoria ...

Recording a winning quadruple on the straight course at Flemington, Sans Doute (4 m Not A Single Doubt – My Prerogative, by I Am Invincible) scored a valuable victory in the A$175,000 ATA/Bob Hoysted Stakes (Listed, 1000m) on 30 March.

Claiming a hat-trick on the course in the Resimax Group Plate (1100m) on 2 March, Sans Doute carried minimum weight (54kg) under jockey Michael Dee, was ideally drawn (3), brought the right form to the battle, and hovered around $5 - $6 in betting.

Snagged from an inside draw to get behind runners and track to the outside, Sans Doute positioned last of nine, but travelled beautifully and once presented at the 350m she rocketed home to claim a last gasp victory.

It was a high quality performance by both horse and rider, with Sans Doute continuing an incredible run of form at Flemington, and Kiwi jockey Michael Dee showing how polished he has become in the saddle.

“I spoke to Ben (Gleeson - Te Akau Australia assistant trainer) pre-race and planned to come across the back of them and get to the outside, which is exactly what we did,” Dee said.

“But I didn’t anticipate being somewhat slowly away and then be a good two lengths off the second last horse.

“Once on to the course proper I’m guessing they (leaders) were 10 lengths in front and it was a very good and strong performance to win like she did. I’m not sure we’ll see a more impressive win today.

“She’s obviously absolutely flying this prep and she can’t do any wrong, and to win like she did I’d love to see what her sectionals were for the last 600m. And she might end up in Adelaide, as well.”

Sans Doute clocked an astonishing 32.0 for her last 600m in winning and did head to Morphettville (Adelaide) for her last start of the season in the John Hawkes Stakes (Gr. 3, 1100m), where ridden again by Dee she came from back and wide before unleashing late for second (nose).

Sans Doute was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for A$300,000 at the 2021 Australian Easter Yearling Sale, from the draft of Arrowfield Stud, and owned by the Te Akau In No Doubt Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

She has now won seven of her 16 starts, including four from eight this season, nearly NZ$465,745 in prize money, and has the pedigree to dramatically increase her residual value. 

Sans Doute carries a bloodline cross through her sire lines of Golden Slipper (Gr. 1, 1200m) winner Canny Lad, by speed sire Bletchingly. 

When buying, Ellis considered her a natural looking athlete, with a great eye, and both the sire and dam-sire were atop the 2021 General Sires list in Australia.

“She is a very elegant filly, from a good family, and we thought she was the best filly in the sale by Not A Single Doubt,” he said.  

“With him (Not A Single Doubt) no longer serving, fillies like this are becoming rare commodities and we were thrilled to be able to secure her.

“We really thought she displayed a lot of potential when racing in New Zealand, but she’s gone to another level in Australia, and maturing into a very competitive sprinting mare.

“It was a beautiful ride by Mick Dee and it was incredible to see her win from that far back.”

In work at Cranbourne, Sans Doute is scheduled for a jump out on 29 July before resuming in the Carlyon Stakes (Listed, 1000m) on 24 August at Moonee Valley.