Te Akau Te Rapa Trials' Report

Te Akau trialled horses on Tuesday 21 August at Te Rapa -

Weather: showery, inside track: Heavy10, rail: true

Heat 1 Open 900 metres (½ a length, ½ a length 56.1)

Meteoric Lass (4 m Stratum - Benatar) - Dennis Tan; began well, maintained a narrow advantage in front throughout and found plenty without urging to win nicely.

She trialled well before winning on debut in May at Waipukurau, and subsequently spelled.

Purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $50,000 at the 2016 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Kitchwin Hills, Meteroic Lass is owned by the Fortuna No. 60 Meteoric Lass Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin). She is a sister to dual stakes' winner Meteoroid (Northern Meteor), scoring eight times over 1200m/1400m in Australia.

Heat 2 Open 900 metres (long head, 1 ¼ lengths 57.1)

Tiffany's Time (5 m Alamosa - Tinsel Time) - Chelsea Burdan; settled back from the outside gate, last of six, and while remaining rearward over a short trip she was doing her best work through the line.

Consistent in four starts before her Maiden victory, she came of age when winning again during a successful spring campaign at Riccarton, and comes into the new season with a rating (67) she can improve on.

Bred by Greg Tomlinson (Nearco Stud) and offered by Bradbury Park at the 2015 NZB Select Yearling Sale, purchased by David Ellis for $55,000 and owned by the Te Akau Tiffany Syndicate.

Heat 3 Open 900 metres (1 ½ lengths, 4 ½ lengths 57.2)

Total Excess (3 g Delago Deluxe - Avail) - Opie Bosson; was fourth on the inner, never comfortable on the heavy ground and held together in the straight.

He looked good in three trials without being extended, before becoming the 10^th of 12^th individual two-year-old winners for Te Akau last season: winning on debut over 1200 metres in April at Hastings, for the Te Akau Total Excess Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

Purchased for $200,000 by David Ellis at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, from the draft of Regal Farm, he is beautifully balanced, athletic and very much in the mould of his sire Delago Deluxe (Encosta De Lago). By champion sire Encosta De Lago, Delago Deluxe was sold as a yearling in Australia, becoming an unbeaten Champion 2YO in South Africa, and a Group One winner at two and three years of age. His yearlings have sold up to $250,000.  The first foal from Avail (Exceed And Excel), in turn from the Zabeel mare Avabelle, his third dam, Eye Full (Palatable), was a highly regarded winner of 11 races including the Hawkes Bay Cup (Gr. 3, 2200m) and finished second in what was then the Group One New Zealand Cup (3200m).

Heat 5 Open 900 metres (1 ¼ lengths, head - no time)

Avantage (3 f Fastnet Rock - Asavant) - Opie Bosson - below; was a stride slow, but soon travelled keenly on the bridle and a close third at the line on worse going than she prefers.

A dream filly, at the forefront of providing Te Akau with consecutive Champion Two-Year-Old titles and possibly Horse of the Year, owned by the Te Akau Avantage Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), she was purchased by David Ellis for $210,000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, from the Oaks Stud draft.

A debut winner in October at Riccarton, Avantage made it four in a row when winning the Karaka Million (Restricted Listed, 1200m) in January, clocked the fastest last 600m (32.8) of the day with a massive sprint for second to stable-mate Sword Of Osman (Savabeel) in the Sistema Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m), and culminated her six start (five wins and a second) two-year-old season with a huge victory in the $225,000 Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) on 31 March at Awapuni.

By champion Australian sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill), her dam Asavant (Zabeel) was a very good filly that won one of the best races in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series: the Warstep Stakes (Listed, 2000m).

Heat 6 Open 900 metres (neck, 4 lengths 57.4)

Chance To Dance (8 g Teofilo - Crystal Ballet) - Dennis Tan; settled fourth on a competitive pace and angled widest he sustained a good gallop for third.

David Ellis bought Chance to Dance (Teofilo) for $260,000 at the inaugural Inglis Chairman's Sale of Elite Racing Prospects in March 2017 at the Inglis Newmarket complex in Sydney, for the Fortuna Chance To Dance Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin).

A day after Gingernuts (Iffraaj) won the Windsor Park Plate (Gr. 1, 1600m) in September last year at Hastings, Chance To Dance made his first New Zealand start a winning one in the Haunui Farm Karaka Classic (Listed, 1600m) at Pukekohe. Two starts later, on Melbourne Cup Day, he won the OMF Stakes (Gr. 3, 2000m) at Ellerslie.

It was the ninth win by Chance to Dance; his seventh from 2000m - 2400m.

Heat 7 Open 900 metres (1 length, ¾ lengths 56.4)

Conclusion (5 g Fully Fledged - Every Reason) - Chelsea Burdan; began well to lead, travelled nicely held around the home turn and although collared he kept up a solid gallop for second.

A winner in February at Pukekohe, a very patient approach has seen him win and finish second three times in four trials, and register two seconds and a fourth before victory at his fourth race day start, for owners Ray Chalklin and Paul & Leanne Richards.

By talented colt Fully Fledged (Align), from the family of Group One placed Conference (Lord Ballina), his fourth dam, Starlit (Star Kingdom), headed the 2YO Free Handicaps in the 1960s and left the dam of both Champion Stayer Pentathon (Pentire) and Second Top Colt in the 1983-84 3YO Free Handicaps Beechcraft (Sea Anchor).

Heat 18 Maiden 900 metres (neck, head 59.2)

Cicciolina (3 f Burgundy - A La Votre) - Nik Bakar; tracked a line of three, in fourth, and came through the centre with a solid gallop under minimal urging to finish close up in third.

From the talented three time winning mare A La Votre (Volksraad), already a handy producer, the filly is owned by Karyn Fenton-Ellis (MNZM), Aaron Jones and Stephen Turner.

Heat 19 Maiden 900 metres (1 ½ lengths, ½ a head 1:01.1)

Hierarchy (3 g Burgundy - Silvara) - Opie Bosson; travelled three wide near the pace and widest into the straight he kept up a strong gallop under minimal urging for second.

Twice a trial winner as a two-year-old at Foxton, and yet to race, he is a new addition to the stable for owners Charles Norwood and Chris Rutten, who bought him from the Cambridge Stud draft at Karaka.

Strongly inbred: 3 x 3 to both Danehill and Zabeel, he is by the Te Akau trained stallion Burgundy (Redoute's Choice), winner of five stakes races, from the family of Champion Miler in Hong Kong Lucky Owners (Danehill), Top Australasian Filly Mosheen (Fastnet Rock), and Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup, and Melbourne Cup winner Might And Power (Zabeel) - twice Australian Horse of the Year.

Heat 20 Maiden 900 metres (2 lengths, 1 ½ lengths 1:01.3)

Miss Scandinavia (4 m Smart Missile - Miss Helsinki) - Opie Bosson - (below & main); began well to lead inside three horses, and strode out nicely for a soft win.

Continuing to improve and a mare with an exceptional pedigree: grand-dam Miss Finland (Redoute's Choice) was Champion 2YO & 3YO Filly in Australia, and winner of five races at Group One level including the Golden Slipper (1200m) and VRC Oaks (2500m), she was purchased by David Ellis from the draft of Arrowfield Stud at the 2016 Sydney Easter Yearling Sale.

A patient approach appears likely to be rewarded for the Te Akau 2016 Scandinavia Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

Heat 21 Maiden 900 metres (long neck, 6 ½ lengths 57.9)

Queen Of The Air (3 f I Am Invincible - Flying Single) - Nik Bakar; raced outside the leader on a competitive pace and held together in the straight she kept up a strong gallop for second.

Owned the Te Akau Supersonic Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), purchased by David Ellis for $240,000 at the 2017 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Queen of the Air staged a top performance for second on debut, followed with a fourth in the Wellesley Stakes (Listed, 1000m), and spelled since the autumn she looks on song for a good campaign.