Te Akau Te Rapa Double

Te Akau Racing scored a notable double today at Te Rapa - with Pins' mare Astrid (bought by David at Karaka) and Fashionably (bought by David at the Inglis Easter Sale) ... both ridden by Opie Bosson ... Astrid first ...

Presented in first-class condition by trainers Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards, Astrid (5 m Pins - Astralita, by Kenny's Best Pal) again displayed her love for racing with a smart victory in the New World Te Rapa Rating 75 1400 metres on Sunday at Te Rapa.

Following a beautiful preliminary, things could not have panned out better for Astrid as rider Opie Bosson had her in the box seat behind the leader and after jogging to the front at the 200m she quickened clear before being afforded the luxury of easing near the line.

It was a perfect ride that resulted in a definitive two and a quarter length win.

“She was travelling beautifully in behind them and once I ranged up beside them turning for home I had a lap full of horse and when I let her go she really kicked on,” Bosson said.

Astrid had worked through the line solidly, with Te Akau apprentice Jasmine Fawcett (a4) aboard, for fifth when resuming off 162 days in the Rating 75 1200 metres on 1 January at Hastings, following a good trial at Te Aroha, and recorded her fourth win for the Te Akau Astrid Syndicate (Mgr: D C Ellis).

“To be fair to her last start, things didn't go one-hundred percent,” Richards said. “Our apprentice Jasmine Fawcett rode her and the senior back on today was a big help to her.

“Opie came down and galloped her on Tuesday morning, gave her a lovely ride and I think she might be able to sneak a bit of black type somewhere along the line.”

After 20mls of rain overnight, Astrid ran the 1400 metres in 1:23.0, last 600m in 34.9, on  footing upgraded to Dead5 and paid $5.90 & $2.90 on the tote in a field of seven bearing only two place dividends.

“Firstly, it was a beautiful ride, an absolutely ten of ten ride by Opie,” Ellis said.

“Jamie rang me this morning and said we had two really good chances in Astrid, Fashionably too, and once again he was right on the money.”

Bred by Joan Egan (part-owner), and Brent & Cherry Taylor at Trelawney Stud, Astrid was purchased by David Ellis for $80,000 from the Trelawney draft at the 2013 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale.

“I bought Astrid at the sales off Joan Egan, and Joan's family own Greenlea, the export company where we sell all our beef, and I'm so thrilled to have Joan, who is a great breeder in her own right, involved - it's such an honour to have her in the filly,” Ellis said.

“We have a lot of really good owners from Te Akau in her and she's a filly that is going to win more races.

“It's the eleventh win Te Akau has had in the past week, in New Zealand and Singapore, and it's great to have that sort of success leading into the sales.

“We're going to buy a lot of horses at Karaka,” said Ellis, of the New Zealand Bloodstock 91^st National Yearling Sales Series which begins on Monday 30 January at Karaka, and extends until 5 February.

“We're going to be dominant at the sales and we're so excited having seen the horses catalogued and we're just really looking forward now to buying them."

Astrid is bred on a Star Kingdom line, carried through Kaoru Star on both sides of her pedigree. Kaoru Star won 13 of his 27 starts and his speed influence made him leading first crop sire and twice champion juvenile sire in Australia.

Astrid was strapped by Megan Winter.
Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz