Te Akau' "Season That Was" continues ...

It was a young gelding who had been very unlucky in his two lead-up black type quests in the South - but in February he finally "won his war" ... Weaponry became Team Te Akau's 12th Group/Listed winner for the season ...

Unlucky in two lead-up Guineas races, Weaponry (3 g Declaration of War - Cat Shmea, by Felix the Cat) capped a successful Southern sojourn with a dominant win in the $50,000 ILT Ascot Park Hotel Southland Guineas (Listed, 1600m) on 16 February at Invercargill.

Ridden by Dylan Turner, and appearing quite comfortable on Slow8 footing, Weaponry travelled best when pressing to lead at the 500m and outstayed his two closest rivals to win by one and a half lengths.

“He'd been a little bit unlucky in his two runs down there (South Island) to date and we didn't want to be unlucky again,” said trainer Jamie Richards. “In the end he won quite convincingly and was able to put a space in them over the concluding stages. 

“He's a horse that's shown ability in the North (Island) and we thought he was nicely placed down there, so rewarding to gain a black type win.”

He became the 12^thstakes winner for Richards this season, levelling him at the top of the premiership and leading the way in prize money, after producing Champion mare Melody Belle (Commands) to win the BCD Group Sprint (Gr. 1, 1400m) a week earlier at Te Rapa - her fourth Group One victory and third this season. 

Weaponry headed South after making the perfect start to his racing career, two wins from two starts, before finishing third in the Gore Guineas (Listed, 1335m) and denied room when fourth in the Dunedin Guineas (Listed, 1500m) on 2 February at Wingatui. 

From the draft of Curraghmore Stud, Weaponry was purchased by David Ellis for $140,000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, and owned by the Te Akau Weaponry Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

“The horse was bred by friends of ours, Shelley Frost and her late mother (Raewyn Ramage) at Braided River Thoroughbreds,” Ellis said. “We love buying horses from breeders that support us and they have been brilliant people to train for.

“With 66 wins this season, Jamie is first equal with the fantastic stable of Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, which is incredible for a young guy still in his twenties He is placing the horses astutely, running the stable intelligently, and Weaponry is a good example of the right horse to take to the South Island and contest the Guineas races and he's done a great job.”

Weaponry was strapped by Debbie Kennedy.   

“Terry and Debbie Kennedy have done a great job looking after the horse, between his three races, at Wingatui, and Dad (Paul Richards) has put in plenty of travel for a couple of the Guineas' races,” Richards said.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

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