Te Akau TV – Big Black Type Trans-Tasman Weekend Ahead!
Date: 12 Sep 2024
Team Te Akau is prepped for an action-packed weekend with Black Type action in Australia and New Zealand!
There’s a lot to catch up on — from prestigious awards for the season that was, to exciting runners this weekend across New Zealand and Australia. This week the team catches up with Reece Trumper and we're pleased to have Te Akau Australia assistant trainer Ben Gleeson preview us ahead of the runners in Melbourne this weekend.
This past week, the New Zealand Horse of the Year Awards provided a fitting stage for Te Akau’s 2023/24 season of success to be recognised. It was a night filled with celebration, as our horses and humans received accolades they so richly deserved. Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, our dynamic training duo, were awarded the Champion Trainer of the Year title, reflecting both their dedication and the incredible results achieved across both New Zealand and Australia. The pair also was recognised as winners of the 2023/24 Trainers' Premiership - how amazing for Sam to achieve this in his very first season as a trainer - while for Mark it was his 11th Trainers' Premiership title!
Perhaps the crowning moment of the night was when Imperatriz was named NZ Horse of the Year - an honour she richly deserved after an unforgettable season. In the past season, Berri (as we know her) was rated the best sprinter in the world, and when she sold for A$6.6 million in May, it was a Southern Hemisphere record. Accordingly how fitting to see her also become the first horse to win the NZTR Outstanding Global Achievement Award, an award previously won by the likes of James McDonald and Chris Waller.
It was a trifecta for our girl who earlier in the evening was also crowned Champion Sprinter/Miler for the second year in a row. Her exceptional performances on the track have captivated us all, and she’s become a true flagbearer for Te Akau.
Imperatriz’s season reads like a dream, with Group 1 victories that will be remembered for years to come. From her track record win in the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley in September (when she smashed her own track record) to her dominance in the William Reid Stakes in March, she consistently delivered world-class performances. Even her brave second-place finish in the Newmarket Handicap and a strong showing in the T J Smith Stakes speak to her versatility and tenacity. To put it simply, she has defined this racing year.
We also want to congratulate Te Akau owners John Elstob and Denise Bassett, who were named Owners of the Year. Their passion and support for New Zealand racing is so clear to everyone who meets them and we couldn’t be happier to see them recognised for their commitment to the industry we all know and love.
We also want to extend a massive thank you to our owners who have supported "Getting Lauren To The Winning Post With Her Cancer Battle." As you may have seen earlier this week, we launched a Givealittle page which will close today as we are so pleased that the fundraiser and private donations have nearly reached the targeted $80,000 needed for her treatment. We stand by Lauren, and it is a testament to our industry and the people in it how so many have rallied around her to show support during this time. We will forever be grateful to the racing community, as we know Lauren certainly is too.
While last weekend might not have delivered a winner, Captured By Love and Damask Rose both showed plenty of promise placing in the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes, while Skew Wiff delivered a good effort for fourth in the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy.
Our owners were back in the winners' circle during the week however with Time Is King showing plenty of grit at win at Riccarton - he is one of the homebred yearlings we have offered to our owners to race with us. Group 1 winners Belle En Rouge and Maven Belle were both home-grown Group 1 winners that we syndicated - and we will be offering shares in two hand picked homebred in the coming weeks - so watch this space as shares sell super quickly!
Looking ahead to the weekend, we are racing on Friday at Matamata and Geelong before an exciting Saturday with black type races on both sides of the Tasman.
At Riccarton, we have three fillies contesting the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes - The Victress, About Last Night and Dream Of The Moon are all primed and ready for their important assignment. Meanwhile, in Australia, our talented brigade heads to Flemington, where Zourion steps out in a benchmark 78 race; Quintessa goes for glory in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes; Sans Doute tackles the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality, and Bellatrix Star lines up in the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes.
We will also have a runner at Donald in Australia over the weekend, Singapore on Saturday, and Te Rapa takes centre stage Sunday. The Waikato meeting promises plenty too as Group 1 girl Campionessa returns, as does multiple Group winner Wild Night after a long lay off.
We’re also eagerly looking forward to next week, as racing makes its highly anticipated return to Ellerslie - Spring has certainly sprung and we're here for it!
Best of luck to all our owners, connections, and runners this weekend! We’ll be the ones cheering loudly for them all! GO THE TANGERINE!