Te Akau Supports the South

The Canterbury Jockey Club's website reports:

The David Ellis led Te Akau Racing has been a loyal supporter of spring racing and ‘Cup Week' at Riccarton Park for well over a decade now and nothing has changed in the stable's approach for its 2017 campaign which begins in earnest this Saturday.

The well-organised Autridge-Richards trained Te Akau team scratched all its runners from the Riccarton Park heavy 10 track last Saturday week but with the prospect of a good track this weekend the stable look certain to be well-represented on Waimakariri Businesses North Canterbury Cup and Coupland's Bakeries Mile Prelude day.

The attraction for Te Akau Racing, local trainers and other visiting stables that will descend upon Riccarton Park over the next six weeks is the almost $3 million in prizemoney will be on offer over the five coming meetings commencing this Saturday.

The biggest prize on offer at the New Zealand Cup Meeting is the $500,000 Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld 45^th New Zealand 2000 Guineas over 1600 metres followed by the $300,000 Gr.1 Gavelhouse.com 45^th New Zealand 1000 Guineas, also over 1600 metres.

The $250,000 Gr.3 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup over 3200 metres and the $230,000 Gr.1 13^th Coupland's Bakeries Mile over 1600 metres are the two next richest stakes events.

In lieu of missing a race the Te Akau stable floated eight horses to Ashburton last Wednesday where by arrangement with the club they galloped all eight on the course proper.

They also had the benefit of a trip away - all part of the meticulous Te Akau planning as David Ellis explained this week:

“The team has benefitted from going to Christchurch early. It's a long way to go so they definitely benefit with extra time to settle-in,” said Ellis.

“In the past 14 years we have won nine Group one races and If you go back through all our group one victories not one looked like the winner early in the spring.

“Two years ago every horse we took to Christchurch won races. I think the weather is changing now and I believe from this time forward we will have better going all over the country.”

The Te Akau team is this year managed in Christchurch by a young Dan Miller with travelling co-trainer Jamie Richards flying in and out as required. Ellis again explained:

“Dan Miller is one of the most capable young guys I've ever employed and he's looking after the team - a really top young man who is going to finish up being a very good trainer in his own right. He's only 21 but has worked for me since he was 14.”

This year Te Akau has a very good New Zealand Cup prospect in Imperium but there are others that Ellis suggests will show prominent form: “Age of Fire is a gorgeous colt that I bought in Sydney for $400,000. He has a very good temperament and he's really settled in and would be one of our leading chances in the 2000 Guineas, for sure.

“Plus we have a really good filly called Avantage by Fastnet Rock. I'd say she'd win at Riccarton Park on Saturday. She's being aimed at the Barneswood Farm Welcome Stakes.

“She's the only two-year-old we have sent down but we might yet send another. We've won five Welcome Stakes in the last 13 years. We've won five or six Grigg Stakes in Ashburton and about six or seven Canterbury Belle Stakes as well.”