Te Akau TV - Calling All Champions!

THE BIGGEST DAY OF THE SEASON ARRIVES!

It is shaping as one of the most exciting weekends of the racing calendar for Te Akau Racing, with runners across New Zealand and Australia and a huge amount of black type on the line at Ellerslie for Champions’ Day!

This time last year, Ellerslie was the stage for a moment that will be remembered for years to come when Damask Rose stormed home to win the inaugural running of the NZB Kiwi. Her victory in the $3.5 million feature not only etched her name into the history books but helped launch one of the most exciting new races in the Southern Hemisphere.

Twelve months on, the race returns bigger again, now worth $4 million, and Te Akau will line up four runners looking to create the next chapter in this remarkable story.

Starting the weekend on Friday, the stable has runners at Kilmore and Te Aroha, before the spotlight turns to Saturday.

The day begins at Taranaki, where three runners step out for the Tangerine team - When Stars Align, Chica De Oro, and Hakkinen. 

All of our attention then turns to Ellerslie, where Champions’ Day has become the richest raceday on the New Zealand calendar with more than $8.5 million in prizemoney on offer. It is a raceday that truly showcases the very best of New Zealand racing - depth, quality and serious horsepower right across the programme.

Te Akau runners feature throughout the card, beginning with Top Shelf who lines up in the Elsdon Park Rating 75 over 1600 metres. She has been racing consistently and brings both class and experience into the contest as she looks to add another winning performance to her record.

The Windsor Park Stud 3YO Trophy sees two Te Akau fillies take their place in what shapes as an excellent contest for the three-year-olds. Stakes' winner Origin Of Love has been competing admirably against some of the best of her age group throughout the season and continues to hold her own in elite company, while Bolli Belle arrives unbeaten in two starts and now takes the next step as she tests herself on a major race day stage.

The Group 2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Classic over 1400 metres sees dual Group One winner Quintessa step out in the weight-for-age feature. Her powerful finishing burst in the Proisir Plate, the season's first Group 1, remains one of the standout performances of the Spring and she looks beautifully placed from barrier four with Opie Bosson aboard. With over a million dollars already earned in prizemoney, she has proven she belongs on the biggest stages and Champions’ Day provides another opportunity to showcase her class.

The future stars of the sport then take centre stage in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes for two-year-olds, a race in which Te Akau has an unparalleled history, having won it eight times previously - including last year with Return To Conquer which marked Te Akau’s 100th Group One victory.

Lara Antipova arrives unbeaten in three starts and most recently produced a dominant performance to win the Group 2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes. The talented filly has shown maturity and brilliance beyond her age and now gets her opportunity at Group 1 level.

Alongside her is Out Of The Blue, a horse that perfectly captures the spirit of ownership. Syndicated among family, friends and supporters as part of the 'Te Akau Tangerine Army Racing Partnership', he has consistently competed with merit this season and now lines up in one of the most prestigious juvenile races on the calendar.

The Group 1 HKJC World Pool New Zealand Derby then presents the ultimate staying test for three-year-olds over 2400 metres, a race steeped in history. Towering Vision takes his place in the Classic after steadily building toward the distance throughout the season. A juvenile stakes' winner who announced himself as a Derby contender with a powerful last-to-first victory over 1600 metres at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, he followed that performance with an excellent second in the Group 2 Waikato Guineas and now steps into the defining race for his generation.

The feature event of the day is of course the $4 million NZB Kiwi, where Te Akau will line up four runners in the field of 14 for the second running of this race.

He Who Dares has consistently measured himself against the best of his age group and brings courage, speed and determination into the contest with Opie Bosson aboard.

Belle Cheval arrives in outstanding form, having already won both the Group 3 Almanzor Trophy and the Group 3 Uncle Remus Stakes this year, performances that confirm her affinity for the Ellerslie track and her ability to perform at the highest level.  Former Te Akau apprentice Michael Dee will take the ride.

La Dorada, the Champion Two-Year-Old affectionately known as 'The People’s Horse', returns to the big stage having already captured the imagination of racing fans across the country with her remarkable juvenile campaign - with experienced Australian jockey Ben Thompson in the saddle.

Completing the quartet is To Bravery Born, who is unbeaten fresh up (4 from 4) and adds further intrigue and depth to what promises to be another fascinating running of this exciting race - Rory Hutchings will be aboard.

A big thank you must go to our owners and the slot holders who make opportunities like this possible. It is their belief and support that allows horses to compete on the biggest of stages.

He Who Dares
Opie Bosson | Barrier 13
Slot: Te Akau Racing

Belle Cheval
Michael Dee | Barrier 11
Slot: The King’s Men

La Dorada
Ben Thompson | Barrier 6
Slot: NZTR & 'The Peoples Horse' 

To Bravery Born
Rory Hutchings | Barrier 5
Slot: Kerri Spence Bloodstock/Clotworthy Racing

While Ellerslie will command the attention in New Zealand, the Tangerine Team will also be strongly represented across the Tasman at Flemington.

Watch Me Rock lines up in the A$2 million All-Star Mile with top jockey William Pike to ride. Geegees Mistruth contests the prestigious A$2 million Group 1 Newmarket Handicap over 1200 metres carrying just 52kgs for Lachlan Neindorf, while Jenni’s Meadow takes her place in the Australian Cup Prelude as she continues her preparation in strong company.

And perhaps most fittingly of all, last year’s NZB Kiwi heroine Damask Rose returns to Flemington to contest the Group 3 Matron Stakes, and Craig Williams remains aboard. Her victory in the inaugural Kiwi remains one of the most memorable moments of the season and it is wonderful to see her now competing at the highest level in Australia.

The weekend concludes on Sunday at Stony Creek where the ever-consistent The Mighty Spar lines up in the Stony Creek Cup over 2100 metres, as he eyes a return to this year's Warrnambool Carnival.

With runners on both sides of the Tasman and black-type opportunities throughout the programme, it promises to be one of the most significant weekends of the season for the stable.

One year on from Damask Rose’s historic triumph in the NZB Kiwi, the Tangerine Team returns to Ellerslie with strength across the card and four chances in the country’s richest race. With Damask Rose also stepping out at Flemington this weekend, perhaps it’s an omen for the team.

Catch up below with Sam Bergerson and Ben Gleeson as they preview what shapes as an exciting weekend for both of our stables in New Zealand and Australia.

Best of luck to all of our runners and owners this weekend - it is such a privilege to share this ride with you, and of course we’ll be cheering you and our horses on every step of the way!

GO THE TANGERINE!