Te Akau Throwback Thursday!

TE AKAU #THROWBACKTHURSDAY!

Everyone likes to reflect on the best moments of their lives right?

The times that made us jump for joy, the times that made us happy - the times a celebration was called for!

So we are bringing you TE AKAU THROWBACK THURSDAYS - when we showcase some of our stand-out highlights over the many years Te Akau Racing has been in business.

This week we look back on Te Akau's Queen of the Turf - four time Group 1 winner, the amazing PRINCESS COUP! See some of her highlights below in our video:

Foaled in Australia in 2003, Princess Coup was one of the Te Akau jewels of the 2000’s! A daughter of Encosta de Lago, she was purchased for $A260,000 by David Ellis at the Gold Coast June Magic Million Yearling Sales in 2005.

Her dazzling career saw her win 12 of her 33 starts with seven runner up placings (four at Group 1 level in Australia!). With prize money of $4,234,168, she remains New Zealand's highest domestic stakes' earner ever.

It started quietly enough with four starts as a 2YO and "Jill" as we knew her, won her second of the four. It was in her three and four year old seasons that she was going to really shine and cement herself as one of the best mares of her time.

In her 3YO season, Princess Coup won at Taupo in August and then Riccarton in September. Later that month she claimed her first of many black type races romping home (appropriately) in the Listed Ray Coupland Stakes at Ashburton. In October it was victory in the Listed Canterbury Stakes before she finished runner up (beaten a nose) in the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas in November and then third a week later in the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas against the boys.

Black type presence continued in December when Princess Coup was runner up in the Group 3 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic at Ellerslie and then in January she claimed the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham. This track was to be the scene of one of her best career wins in March but before that, she was again runner up, this time in the Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic at Te Rapa in February. Back to the winner's circle in early March for Princess Coup with a decisive win in the Group 3 Lowland Stakes then it was all on - Group 1 glory with a 4.5 length whitewash of the NZ Oaks' field.

That win saw her triumphant in the NZB Filly of the Year Series (Te Akau's second of five titles) and she was also crowned Champion 3YO of the season, as well as South Island Filly of the Year.

Already a winner of twelve races to date including an outstanding 4.5 length victory in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks in March 2007 at Trentham, she also won the Group 3 Devan Plastic Lowland Stakes at Trentham in early March 2007, the Group 3 NZ Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham in January 2007 and the Listed Ray Coupland Stakes and the Listed Slade Farm Stakes in 2006.

As a 4YO, Princess Coup was third in the Group 1 Stoney Bridge Stakes in September 2007. She then went on to score a sensational win in New Zealand’s richest race, the Group 1 $2,000,000 Kelt Capital Stakes (WFA) 2040m on 6 October 2007. She was named Mercedes Champion Middle Distance Performer and Mercedes Champion Stayer for the 2007/08 season.

In late 2007 Princess Coup was a gallant third in the A$2.5 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup in Melbourne and followed this with a phenomenal run to finish second in the A$755,000 Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington. In February 2008 Princess Coup was fourth in the A$400,000 Group 1 Orr Stakes, before winning the A$200,000 Group 2 St George Stakes both in Melbourne. She was then second in the A$1 million Group 1 Australian Cup in Melbourne before finishing runner-up in Sydney in both the A$400,000 Group 1 Ranvet Stakes and the A$2.2 million Group 1 BMW Stakes.

In her lead up to the 2008 $2 million Kelt Capital Stakes, Princess Coup stormed home to claim the $250,000 Group 1 Stoney Bridge Stakes, her third Group 1 race victory. Two weeks later she defended her Kelt Capital crown with a scintillating 1.5 length win. Trained by Te Akau's Mark Walker, "Jill" was raced by Ray Coupland and John Bromley was retired in February 2009.

See some of her highlights above in the first of many TE AKAU THROWBACK THURSDAY videos!