Te Akau Shines at Matamata RC Awards

Matamata Racing Club held its annual racing awards on Thursday night (29 August) at Matamata Racecourse. 

From the second largest training centre in New Zealand, there were 28 trainers that recorded wins during the 2023-24 season, while nine individual horses won 13 Group One races.

Te Akau won or had a hand in winning nine of the 13 awards: 

Champion Two-Year-Old ~ Move To Strike

Champion Sprinter/Miler ~ Imperatriz

Champion Stayer ~ Campionessa

Champion Apprentice ~ Niranjan Parmar

Champion Owners ~ Te Akau Invincible Empress Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM)

Champion Jockey ~ Opie Bosson ONZM

Champion Trainers ~ Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson

Champion Breeder ~ (Te Akau trained: Skew Wiff) Waikato Stud

Matamata Horse of the Year ~ Imperatriz. 

Accepting awards on numerous occasions, Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM was quick to acknowledge how instrumental the track management team at Matamata, headed by Graeme Styles, was to all trainers and reflected in the success of horses trained there.

“Te Akau has been training horses here since 1988 at Matamata, and we can only continue to have this type of success because of the work that Graeme and his team do in preparing both the training tracks and racecourse,” Ellis said.

“They work seven days a week, in some pretty challenging weather conditions, to ensure that all trainers get the best facilities possible, and I think that all of you here tonight would agree.

“Graeme is world-class at what he does and we’re very grateful, because at the end of the day it’s providing our owners with the best chances for their horses.

“Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson and all of our hardworking staff did a great job last season to achieve the most wins in New Zealand, and Karyn and I are especially proud to be here and be a part of the awards' evening.”

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With three of four nominees for the R. C. Blake Champion Two-Year-Old, the award was won by Move To Strike (I Am Invincible – No Evidence Needed, by Shamardal), who vindicated the impressiveness of his debut win with a brilliant victory in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) and also finished runner-up to stable-mate Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) in the Eclipse Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m).

A colt by Australian Champion Sire I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), and bred on the same cross as Imperatriz, Move To Strike was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for A$525,000 at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Baramul Stud, and owned by Te Akau 2023 Stallion Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM). His Group 1 victory provided his superstar sire I Am Invincible with his first ever juvenile Group 1 winner.

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Emulating her awards from the previous year, Imperatriz (I Am Invincible – Berimbau, by Shamardal) won the J. McAnally Champion Sprinter/Miler and Matamata Horse of the Year.

The highest rated sprinter in the world last season, Imperatriz took her Group One tally to 10 with victories in the Moir Stakes (Gr. 1, 1000m), Manikato Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m), Champions Sprint (Gr. 1, 1200m), Lightning Stakes (Gr. 1, 1000m) and William Reid Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m).

Purchased for A$360,000 by David Ellis CNZM at the 2020 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Bhima Thoroughbreds, Imperatriz was owned by Te Akau Invincible Empress Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

Imperatriz won 19 of 27 starts, NZ$7.5 million in prize money, and after retiring in June this year she fetched A$6.6 million to become the highest priced filly or mare ever sold in the Southern Hemisphere.

Imperatriz provided the stable with their ninth consecutive Matamata Horse of the Year, having previously won with Gingernuts (Iffraaj), Xtravagant (Pentire), Avantage (Fastnet Rock), and twice each with Melody Belle (Commands) and Probabeel (Savabeel), who were each dual NZ Horse of the Year winners, and Imperatriz in 2023. 

“It’s a terrific thrill to win this award,” Ellis said. “It’s great to see such a great turnout here tonight and to be part of a club that is so well run. 

“We’re just so proud of Imperatriz and what she accomplished, not just last season but throughout her career. 

We would especially like to thank our racing manager Reece Trumper and assistant trainer Nicole Shailer, as well as all the staff that looked after Imperatriz. Nicole is so wonderful with our horses, with incredible attention to detail, and mentoring young team members. Reece is a young guy who does a fantastic job engaging the jockeys, running the colt barn when Rylee (Sheehan) is busy, and a very good person that is going to the top.

“We couldn’t wish for a better training team than Mark & Sam, and I’m very proud to be part of the team.”

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The Danny Moss Champion Stayer was won by Campionessa (6 m Contributer – Bella Carolina, by O’Reilly), who richly deserved her victory in the Zabeel Classic (Gr. 1, 2050m), which arrived on the back of stakes wins in the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr. 2, 1400m) and Cal Isuzu Stakes (Gr. 2, 1600m), and was followed by another valuable victory in the Peter Young Stakes (Gr. 2, 1800m) at Caulfield (Melbourne).

Owned by Te Akau Campionessa Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), she was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $60,000 at the 2019 Gold Coast National Yearling Sale, from the draft of Mapperley Stud, where the sire stands.

Her 33 starts have yielded 11 wins, 10 places, and over $1.25 million in prize money. 

“She was passed in after never getting a bid in the sales ring at Karaka, and the same again happened at Magic Millions (Gold Coast),” Ellis said.

“I was there at the sale, and our catalogue notes were positive about her, so was able to negotiate buying her with Simms Davison (Mapperley Stud).

“It just goes to show that there are no genius buyers in the sale ring, because she was completely overlooked. 

“Just look what she’s become as a race mare, and I’d like to congratulate all the staff that worked with her. She’s a lovely mare, sound and enjoying her work, and gearing up to race as seven-year-old this season.”

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The Lindsay Family Champion Apprentice Award went to Niranjan Parmar, who despite incurring a few suspensions throughout the season was able to win 50 races, finishing two behind the Premiership winning apprentice Lily Sutherland.

Parmar rode three Group & Listed winners, including Te Akau-trained Perfect Scenario (Iffraaj) in the White Robe Lodge Weight-For-Age (Gr. 3, 1600m) and Discretion Rules (Alabama Express) in the Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (Listed, 1200m).

Although unable to attend the awards, his agent Michael Coleman said: “He had a very good season, but unfortunately too much time on the sidelines kept him from winning the national title. 

“He’s very thankful to Te Akau for supporting him so much, and this opportunity of getting on good horses is helping him become a more professional and sought after jockey.”

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Colin Thompson Owner of the Year was won by Te Akau Invincible Empress Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), as the owners of Matamata Horse of the Year Imperatriz.

“We have some of her owners with us here tonight and to reiterate what I said in the Racing.com interview: “She is the bringer of great joy”, Fenton-Ellis said.

“There was never a day that we weren’t proud of her, because she left it all out there on the track in every race she competed in.

“And when she was flying the Kiwi flag last season in Australia, and even though she was Australian bred, she was a New Zealander.

“We’re proud that she was trained here at Matamata, loved her home base, and she was just a special horse to her owners and all our staff that worked with her at the stables and at Te Akau Stud.

“Congratulations must go to David (Ellis) for buying her and I must remind people that she was the last to sell in her year, sat on the website for ages, which just goes to show there is no rhyme or reason to finding champions.”

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The W. L. Tisch Champion Jockey Award was won by Opie Bosson, who as well as combining with Imperatriz for her mega season in Australia, enhancing his tally to 98 Group One wins, and had 91 wins between New Zealand and Australia, including 18 stakes wins, eight of which were Group Ones. 

Apprenticed to Te Akau, after first joining the stable as a 13-year-old, Bosson (44) was honoured as an ONZM Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2023, ridden over 2000 winners in NZ and an additional 130 globally. 

Speaking on his behalf, Te Akau racing manager Reece Trumper said: “Opie had a great season both here and in Australia.

“He’s such a talented jockey, master of his trade, and we’re very grateful to have him as our stable rider at Te Akau Racing.”

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The David Benjamin Breeder of the Year went to Waikato Stud, for the deeds of Skew Wiff (Savabeel).

Skew Wiff resumed with a terrific effort for second in the Foxbridge Plate (Gr. 2, 1200m), before winning the Tarzino Trophy (Gr. 1, 1400m), beating a field that included nine Group One winners, and made a splash on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington, winning The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (Gr. 3, 1400m).

Accepting on behalf, George Chittick said: “Thank you very much for this award and to Matamata Racing Club for having us all here this evening. 

“Congratulation to all the winners, we’re looking forward to the upcoming breeding season – had about 30 foals so far on the farm – and it’s a great honour to everyone at Waikato Stud to win this award.

“We would like to wish everyone all the best for this racing season.”

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The D. J. O’Sullivan Champion Trainer Award was won by Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson. 

After Mark Walker smashed all previous records with 203 wins in NZ and total stakes of more than $8.25m in 2022-23, he was joined in partnership by Sam Bergerson to register 169 wins, the second highest tally in NZ history, including 63 wins in the South Island, and $8 million in prize money.

Walker also steered the Te Akau stable at Cranbourne (Victoria) to win NZ$7.6 million in stakes money in Australia.

Again there was a high ratio of stakes winners: 30 in total, including nine Group Ones, with 21 stakes wins in New Zealand and nine in Australia.

Dave O’Sullivan passed earlier this year, and Lance O’Sullivan said: “We’re at the track every morning and we see what a wonderful job Mark and Sam do. And in Mark’s case, they don’t just do it once but for 28 years. 

“Mark, you and the team inspire us all to do better and to do well and once again congratulations, you all deserve it, and dad looking down would be very proud.”

Mark Walker said: “DJ O’Sullivan, he was the benchmark in New Zealand, and I was lucky enough to watch him every day when I was younger and he was only too happy to share his advice and wisdom.

“To Graeme Styles and his track staff, thank you for preparing the training facilities that all the trainers here at Matamata get the benefit of. 

“To all our staff, it’s a hard slog in an industry all year round that can have some pretty testing weather conditions, but it’s a team effort to get these sort of results and both Sam and I very grateful to your hard work and loyalty.

“To Dave and Karyn, none of this would be possible without the buying and syndication of the young horses. We’re very fortunate and anyone that gets the horses that we get to train would be winning those races.”