Te Akau Season - Stakes' Win 30 (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.

Today we reflect on our season's Group/Listed win 30 of 30 - our final ‘look back’!

It was a huge season again for Te Akau 2YO’s - did you know Te Akau trainer Mark Walker actually still holds the record for both number of 2YO winners, and 2YO wins, in a season?  That record was established before he re-located to our Singapore stable in 2010.  

Our team is superbly qualified and experienced at ‘getting inside’ a young horse’s head and working out what makes them tick, bringing out the very best in them. We give them every opportunity to shine, however with patience and kindness always a priority.

As mentioned yesterday, runner up previously to Nucleozor on more than one occasion, it was time to see Discretion Rules ‘rule the roost’ - and also provide his young sire with his first ever stakes' winner!!

No longer the bridesmaid, Discretion Rules (2 g Alabama Express – Miss Madonna, by Zoustar) won the $80,000 Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (Listed, 1200m) on 5 April at Riccarton.

Having played second fiddle to stable-mate Nucleozor (Almanzor) in all three starts prior, most recently in the Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) on 13 April at Riccarton, Discretion Rules stuck to his style of racing and it paid off.

Ridden by stable apprentice Niranjan Parmar, who last year won the Most Improved Apprentice Jockey and leads his peers in the premiership this season, Discretion Rules raced comfortably outside pace making race favourite Great Time (Time Test) and quickened to a winning advantage at the 200m.

Discretion Rules beat home Ziggy Stardust (Turn Me Loose), while Te Akau stable-mate Colonel Warden (Russian Revolution) produced a very good debut effort for third. 

“He really deserved that stakes' win and Parmar gave him a treat of a ride,” said Te Akau racing manager Reece Trumper, from the course.

“We weren’t overly confident about him stepping up to 1200 metres, but he did the job well, and Colonel Warden was really good too in third place. He flattened out well and Ashvin (Goindasamy) gave him a good ride. He’s a nice, neat, type of horse and he’s only to improve with that.”

Mark Walker, who trains in partnership with Sam Bergerson, said: “Discretion Rules is a yearling that Dave (Ellis) bought before we knew how good the sire (Alabama Express) was going to be. 

“He’s a very promising sire and we were impressed with his yearlings throughout the sales series, at Magic Millions, Sydney, and Melbourne. He’s got a lovely line of young horses, Alabama Express.”

Both Discretion Rules and Colonel Warden were each purchased for reasonable amounts by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM, as yearlings, with Discretion Rules costing $165,000 at the 2023 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Highline Thoroughbreds, for owners the Te Akau Non-Stop Express Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

While Colonel Warden was purchased for $170,000 at the 2023 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Coolmore Stud, and is owned by long-term, loyal Te Akau supporter Ronald Lau.

Discretion Rules is from the first crop of C F Orr Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) winner Alabama Express, a race also won by his Champion Sire Redoute’s Choice (Danehill).

Discretion Rules became the first stakes' winner for Alabama Express, who made a terrific start to his stallion career with 12 individual winners of 14 races from only 20 runners, with some immense talent displayed among them.

Out of a mare by Zoustar (Northern Meteor), currently second on the Australian General Sires’ List,  Discretion Rules is from the family of Group One winner and Champion Two-Year-Old Sword of State (Snitzel), purchased as a yearling by David Ellis and approaching his second season sire duties at Cambridge Stud.

Discretion Rules carries bloodline crosses to a number of Champion Sires: Redoute’s Choice, Encosta de Lago, Nijinsky, and Northern Dancer. 

Back in training at Matamata, Discretion Rules is scheduled to trial on 27 August at Waipa.

Discretion Rules became the 30th stakes' winner for Te Akau this season (21 NZ & 9 Aust.) and their 23rd two-year-old win, among a total of 168 wins for the premiership leading training partners, coming at a lower strike rate (5.8) than last season when Te Akau set a record 203 domestic wins.

The two-year-old winners have been headed by Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) winner Move To Strike (I Am Invincible), dual Group Two & Group Three winner Captured By Love (Written Tycoon), Group Two winner Bellatrix Star (Star Witness), and Listed winner Nucleozor (Almanzor).