Te Akau Season - Stakes' Win 6 (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 southern stable, based at Riccarton in Christchurch, has made a significant impact this season - NZ Cup Week has always been a very important focus and highly successful week for the tangerine team and the 2023 edition was no different.  

On the mid day of Cup Week, a Savabeel mare purchased by David Ellis CNZM at Karaka, won the black type race she so richly deserved and had been 'waiting in the wings' for ... 

In a seeing is believing performance, Fashion Shoot (6 m Savabeel – High Fashion, by O’Reilly) won the $120,000 Windsor Park Stud Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (Gr. 3, 1400m) on the middle day (15 Nov.) of Cup Week at Riccarton.

Winning twice and being twice Group Three placed last season, Fashion Shoot resumed with a super win in the Rating 75 1200 metres on 9 September Hastings, indicating she had reached her physical prowess in maturity, which this success at Group Three level validated.  

Ridden by Warren Kennedy, there were similarities to the herculean Melbourne Cup win by Kiwi as Fashion Shoot came from last and 20 lengths from the leader to mount a massive finish through the field. 

“It was a great ride of Warren’s, especially having his first sit on the mare,” said co-trainer Mark Walker. 

“She’s maturing, her owners have been very patient, and that was well rewarded today, she really put paid to them.”

A beautifully put together filly, owned by the Te Akau In Vogue Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn-Fenton Ellis MNZM), she was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $320,000, from the draft of Waikato Stud, at the NZB 2019 Karaka Book 1 Sale. 

Having her third trip to Riccarton, after getting through to contest the 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) on the course as a three-year-old, Fashion Shoot has won a total of seven times her career. She has earned the equivalent of her purchase price and now as a stakes' winner, she has increased her residual broodmare value tenfold. 

Fashion Shoot is by eight-time Champion Sire Savabeel (Zabeel), a Cox Plate (Gr. 1, 2040m) winning three-year-old and Australasian sire sensation, who surpassed his grandfather, Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor), for the number of stakes' winners. He is now second to his father Zabeel (Sir Tristram) as the leading stakes' producing stallion in New Zealand. 

Her dam, High Fashion (O’Reilly), was an immensely talented race mare with a terrific turn of foot, winning four races including the prestigious Desert Gold Stakes (Gr. 3, 1600m), and Lowland Stakes (Gr. 3, 2100m).

“It’s quite incredible how much she’s matured physically between five and six years of age and it’s showing in her performances,” Ellis said.

“It’s a tribute to the way our team at the farm (Te Akau Stud) and the stable handle these horses that they can race and perform as young horses and still win black type as six-year-olds. It's also a tribute to the toughness of New Zealand bred horses.

“That’s as good a win as we’ve seen by any horse all season, coming from two lengths last in a field of 16.

“It’s very important for a mare like her to win a stakes' race and now she’s done it. She’s exceptionally well bred and is a highly commercial proposition.”

Fashion Shoot is currently spelling at Te Akau Stud.