Te Akau TV - Group Action Awaits!
25 September, 2025
QUINTESSA RETURNS TO REIGN AT GROUP 1 LEVEL AS LA DORADA HUNTS GROUP 3 SPOILS!
This week we’re joined by New Zealand Assistant Trainer Reece Trumper with our Group 1 star Quintessa, and Ben Gleeson with the latest from our Australian stable featuring a very relaxed La Dorada!
It has been another successful week for the stable on both sides of the Tasman, and we begin by celebrating our winners. At Ellerslie, Celestial Wonder was superb in the $55,000 Sistema R75 Benchmark 1200m, ridden by Opie Bosson ONZM, for the Te Akau Beyond The Stars Racing Partnership - an Xtravagant mare bred and syndicated amongst Te Akau owners, she looks to have a bright sprinting future.
At Te Aroha, it was a proud result for the jumping team as Fierce Flight took out the $20,000 Aroha Law Maiden Hurdle under Jay Kozaczek, for the Te Akau Out of Bounds Racing Partnership and purchased by David Ellis CNZM at the NZB Ready to Run (RTR) Sale. You could well see him competing at Warrnambool next year!
Across the Tasman, McWoody continued his consistent campaign with another tough victory, while Kiwi Raider added to the Australian tally with a strong win to underline the depth and form of our team - she's yet another Ready To Run purchase.
It has been another winning week for the stable, and now the spotlight turns to a massive weekend of racing with Group 1 action at Te Rapa, a strong team at Riccarton, further representation in Australia, and two debut two-year-olds, our first for the new season - one at Ōtaki and one at Riccarton.
However, on Friday we will see our very first 2YO runner for the new season - Enchantment, a Hello Youmazin filly we are proud to be entrusted to train, makes her debut at Ōtaki with last season's Champion Jockey Craig Grylls aboard.
Then Saturday, as Te Rapa plays new host to the Group 1 Howden Insurance Mile, and we will be represented by ten runners across the programme. The day begins with Family Ties in the opening event, followed by I’m A Dirty Rascal in the second. Malmaison, Pokuru Gold, and I Am Nutz contest the third, before one of the highlights of the day as Wild Night resumes in race five.
In the Group 2 Timberspan Hawke’s Bay Guineas, you will see He Who Dares, a colt with a big future, while Cool ’n’ Fast takes his place in race seven. The spotlight will then burn brightly in the Group 1 Howden Insurance Mile, where both Quintessa and Qali Al Farrasha represent the stable. Quintessa is aiming for back-to-back Group 1 victories, while Qali Al Farrasha was excellent in the Proisir Plate at Ellerslie and looks set to give a bold account. With ten competitive runners, including two mares in the Group 1, Te Rapa will be the centrepiece of racing in New Zealand this weekend – let’s just hope the track doesn’t get any more rain!
At Riccarton Park, we also have a strong hand with nine runners. Origin Of Love starts our day in race two, followed by War Of Silence in race three. In race four we see Out Of The Blue, the second of our early two-year-old runners of the season, debuting from barrier one. Purchased for the Tangerine Army Syndicate, managed by Julia-Rose, this marks an exciting moment for a large group of owners beginning their journey in racing and we are thrilled to see this lad we know as 'Berg' step out for his mostly young owners having their first taste in horse racing.
Court Of Appeal steps out in race five, before Perfect Scenario and Stonybreck contest race seven. Elegant Lady competes in race eight, the North Canterbury Cup, and we close the programme with Insatiable and Legally Binding in the last.
In Australia, we begin on Friday at Benalla where Titahi Bay runs in the Maiden Plate, followed by a key moment on Friday night at Moonee Valley as La Dorada contests the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes with Craig Williams aboard. Imperatriz made Moonee Valley her own, remaining unbeaten in her five starts on that track, and now La Dorada has her chance to shine in feature company.
So it is another big weekend for Te Akau owners, with ten engaged at Te Rapa including Group 1 contenders Quintessa and Qali Al Farrasha, nine at Riccarton, and La Dorada stepping up in feature company at Moonee Valley. Best of luck to all our owners and connections - we look forward to what should be another thrilling weekend of racing.
GO THE TANGERINE!