Te Akau TV - From Our Riccarton Stable

It has been another good week for the Te Akau team, both on and off the track, and we are delighted to bring you a full update as we head into one of the most exciting weekends of the year - NZ Cup & Al Basti Equiworld NZ 2000 Guineas' Day at Riccarton!

We begin with a performance we are incredibly proud of. Last Saturday, Captured By Love returned to Christchurch, the scene of her Group 1 success 12 months earlier, and produced a brilliant, determined display to win the Group 3 Windsor Park Stud Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes. She showed her trademark acceleration and professionalism, adding yet another black-type victory to her stand-out record – she's a very valuable mare now. We also had Sibling Rivalry, ridden by Craig Grylls, win by one and a half lengths on debut, which is very exciting for her owners.

This weekend is also one that holds deep significance for Te Akau Racing. No stable has won more of the iconic Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas races than Te Akau. We have won the New Zealand 2000 Guineas seven times - a record we are incredibly proud of.

Last year was historic for Te Akau – we won both features on the same day.

Captured By Love won the Group 1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas, and Mehzebeen delivered a brilliant victory in the Group 3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup.

This year, I’m A Dirty Rascal attempts to defend our title for another year in the Group 3 Martin Collins 162nd New Zealand Cup, while our two colts – War of Silence and He Who Dares – will be striving to become Te Akau’s eighth 2000 Guineas winner in the Al Basti Equiworld NZ 2000 Guineas.

Our Guineas honour roll includes horses who went on to become influential sires: King’s Chapel, Darci Brahma, Rock ’n’ Pop, Xtravagant, Embellish and Noverre – no such luck of course for our other winner Tell A Tale (a gelding). We look forward to adding to that legacy this weekend.

The anticipation is high, and on this week's episode of Te Akau TV we are joined by our South Island Assistant Trainer Hunter Durrant, who covers off a very exciting weekend ahead of our team's assignments.

The weekend is full of legacy and that is something we love about Cup Week. Before the big day in the South we start our weekend off across the Tasman with Exuberance and Jealous begin proceedings on Friday evening. Then all of our eyes turn to Saturday. Our Riccarton team of ten headlines a strong presence, but we also have runners across Tauranga, Moe, Donald, Caulfield, Geelong and Rotorua, making it a true trans-Tasman weekend of racing for the stable.

In New Zealand on Saturday, we have horses chasing black type honours at two venues. Riccarton takes centre stage, beginning with Porcia Catonis before the exciting Listed Lindauer Stewards' Stakes featuring Trobriand and Insatiable.

Legally Binding and Hooray For Harry, followed by our Guineas contenders War of Silence and He Who Dares. Shockabella steps out next, and finally we see I’m A Dirty Rascal and Court Of Appeal completing the day as serious NZ Cup contenders.

We also have a classy line-up at Tauranga, with Avantaggia, When Stars Align, I Am Nutz, Charmrose, Wild Night and Top Shelf all taking their place across a competitive programme.

Alongside the raceday excitement, the team has also been extremely busy this week with the NZB Ready to Run Sale. After weeks of inspections, breeze-up work and careful analysis, we secured some outstanding two-year-olds for our owners.

We have a colt with only 25% remaining – Lot 138, the Ole Kirk – Statuesquely bay colt. He is an athletic, fluent-moving horse with a terrific attitude, and he impressed our team throughout the inspection process. View details are available on this cracking lad by clicking here: https://teakauracing.com/yearling/lot-138-ole-kirk-aus-statuesquely-aus-bay-colt

We wish all our owners the very best of luck and thank you, as always. GO THE TANGERINE!