Te Akau TV - Double Group 1 Action Awaits

5 April, 2024

As another Trans-Tasman weekend dawns for the tangerine, our focus shifts to Trentham and the rain-drenched city of Sydney. Indeed, Sydney is firmly under the rain radar today, with torrents cascading down as we present this week's edition of Te Akau TV!

Before we get into the thick of the weekend action our results over the past week were nothing short of sensational. Sans Doute delivered a stellar performance, re-affirming her love affair with Flemington when winning valuable black type. She stormed home in the Listed ATABob Hoysted Stakes from last to first making it four in a row down the Flemington straight. This mare has simply blossomed and is loving life at our Cranbourne stable. Our strike rate in Victorian metropolitan races is a stunning 31%!

In New Zealand we celebrated Puketiro bringing home Reece's 'Best Bet' at Ellerslie, while Can't Kach Me clinched a well deserved victory at Ashburton, taking our NZ season tally of winners to 132.

Ahead we’re set for not just ANY weekend, it marks the final Group 1 event of the New Zealand season and heralds Day 1 of the Championships at Royal Randwick. The Sydney forecast is daunting, with projections of up to 300mm of rainfall setting the stage for one of the most significant days on the ATC calendar. So all eyes will be on the track and news coming out of Australia today regarding this meeting as it is currently under a rain cloud.

Coming from the land down under today we connect with Te Akau Australia's assistant trainer, Ben Gleeson, ahead of Berri's season finale, the Group 1 TJ Smith. This race signifies the culmination of an exceptional season for our Queen Imperatriz, boasting five Australian Group 1 victories, a Group 2 triumph, two track records, and a courageous second-place finish in the Newmarket Group 1, carrying top weight and conceding 6.5kgs to the winner. Following this race we are set to welcome her home to Te Akau Stud where she will be spelling.

The action then continues as we chat to New Zealand co-trainer Sam Bergerson ahead of the final Kiwi Group 1 of the season. Our attention turns to Trentham, where a trio of tangerine two-year-olds will vie for top honours in the re-located Group 1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes. This race holds special significance for Te Akau, having secured victory seven times previously with elite performers such as Maven Belle, Avantage, Melody Belle, On The Bubbles, Yourdeel, Kindacross, and Maroofity. Notably, six of these winners went on to be crowned Champion 2YO of the Year!

It's a great result that both colts from our 2023 colt partnership, Move To Strike and Unbridled Joy, will chase this Group 1 trophy alongside Captured By Love, one of the two fillies from our 2023 filly partnership. The other filly in the partnership, The Victress, also steps out on Saturday at Pukekohe. No surprise shares in our 2024 colt and filly partnerships proved so popular!

We also can't wait to see Balance of Power take his place in the Group 3 Higgins Concrete Manawatu Classic; Aotea Lad contests the Group 2 City Of Palmerston North Awapuni Gold Cup, and Petrucci lines up in the Listed Bramco Granite & Marble Flying Handicap.

As we say adieu to the remarkable Imperatriz in her final start of this campaign, along with Group 1 racing in New Zealand for the season, the action won’t be slowing down. Te Akau's racing calendar promises to keep you thoroughly entertained, especially as the evenings grow darker with the onset of daylight saving’s time this Saturday in New Zealand.

From Sunday all attention will be on the Inglis Easter Sale, where our team is primed to make some more purchases to add to our stable. Additionally, Day 2 of the Championships in Sydney await, promising another exhilarating super Saturday of Group 1 contenders with Campionessa and Quintessa leading the tangerine charge!

Good luck to all our owners and connections... and of course GO THE TANGERINE!

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