Te Akau Shines at ARC Season Awards

A cauldron of fine racing, Ellerslie racecourse is host to the most stakes' races each season and a domain where horses, jockeys, and trainers seek success and recognition.

At a special function, as part of Awards' Race Day (5 June), the Auckland Racing Club announced the winners of the Ellerslie Awards for the 2020/21 season - and Te Akau was to the fore.

On the strength of a record-breaking season for Te Akau Racing, which included fastest 100 wins, most stakes' wins (40), and total wins (currently 157), it was no surprise its dominance of the awards.

By public vote, reigning dual Horse of the Year and national record-holder with 14 Group One wins, Melody Belle won ‘Performance of the Year' for her blistering effort in the Bonecrusher NZ Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m).

Based on strike rates, champion trainer Jamie Richards won ‘Trainer of the Year', former Te Akau apprentices and stable riders Opie Bosson and Troy Harris shared ‘Jockey of the Year', with flourishing apprentice Joe Kamaruddin named â€˜Apprentice Jockey of the Year'.

Richards trained 31 winners on the course this season at a strike rate of 3.2, and included 21 places. Twice he prepared five winners on a day, once notched four wins, and claimed three on three occasions.

On Te Akau horses, Bosson recorded stakes' victories aboard Brando (Savabeel) in the Uncle Remus Stakes (Listed 1400m), Amarelinha (Savabeel) in both the Eight Carat Classic (Gr. 2, 1600m) and Sunline Vase (Gr. 2, 2100m), Avantage (Fastnet Rock) the Railway (Gr. 1, 1200m), Need I Say More (No Nay Never) in the Mufhasa Stakes (Listed, 1300m) and Sword of State (Snitzel) in the Sistema Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m). While Harris won the Almanzor Trophy (Gr. 3, 1200m) on Need I Say More and the Bonecrusher Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m) on Melody Belle.

The pair also played a major role in the career of Melody Belle, with Bosson aboard in six of her Group One victories and Harris in four.

Recently retired, Melody Belle won 14 Group One races (19 from 40 in total), $4.3 million prize money and sold as a broodmare for A$2.6m last week.

Bred by Marie Leicester, Melody Belle was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $57,500 at the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, from the draft of Haunui Farm, and was owned by Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin). Ellis also purchased each of the Te Akau stakes' winners this season at Ellerslie.

Prior to speaking about Melody Belle, Galvin who was present for the awards at Ellerslie accepted the Trainer's Award on Richards' behalf said: “When I first met Jamie (Richards) he seemed like a man in a hurry. He was very polite and had great communication skills.

“In five years since, I've been amazed at his work ethic, horsemanship, and attention to detail. He manages a big team of horses and staff which such aplomb.

“Te Akau loves racing horses at Ellerslie, and has experienced a lot of success on the course.”

In regard to Melody Belle, Galvin said: “The breeding story is interesting because she is part of the famous ‘Belle' family, which goes back nearly 90 years to a mating by Marie's parents (James & Annie Sarten) and each generation of the family has thrown plenty of good winners. Melody Belle is undoubtedly the cream of the crop.

“David (Ellis) bought her as a yearling, and we go back to when we first met in 2002. He bought a Group Two winner for me, Kapsdan, as a private owner. I was also involved in Darci Brahma, which he bought, and we have had many more successful horses since then.

“He is a man on top of his game. The brief I gave him when he bought Melody Belle was to try and buy a filly with a nice pedigree, physically correct, one that can run as a two-year-old and maybe prepare for the Karaka Million 2YO (which she won), and within a budget of $80,000.

“Jamie as her trainer has never put a foot wrong.

“Strappers, Jasmine Fawcett strapped her on Karaka Million day, Teina Walters, Kerry Jones, Mette Mosebo and Nicole Shailer. And they all loved her to bits.

“Opie (Bosson) got down to 54.5kg to win the Karaka Million, and who can forget the salute by Michael McNab when she won her first Group One in the Sires' Produce Stakes. He rode her in two group one wins. Shafiq Rusof rode in her two of the group one wins, and Troy (Harris) only rode Melody Belle four times and won a Group One each time. And, of course, Opie won six Group Ones on her.

“She had 37 individuals in the ownership, from Whangarei to Cromwell, and all age groups. We have developed great friendships and camaraderie, and days we will never forget. Flemington, on Derby Day, when she won the Empire Rose Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m), was the world stage and something we will never forget.

“Ellerslie has been like a second home to her and we are honoured to have won the ‘Performance of the Year' for this season. She won her first stakes' race here, the Karaka Million, and won her last stakes' race in the Bonecrusher.

“Boys Get Paid brought the grandstand down when she won the Mongolian Khan Stakes, and who can forget her great clash with Danzdanzdance in the 2019 Bonecrusher Stakes - two wonderful mares going to war.”