Te Akau TV - Ho, Ho, Ho-rsepower: Here’s Your Festive Season Racing Preview

'Tis the festive racing season, and at Te Akau, we're joyfully immersed in the spirit of the season - it's all about ho-ho-ho-horses! 

Welcome to a special episode of Te Akau TV! This week, we are thrilled to be joined by Reece Trumper who has the task of providing you with an exclusive preview ahead of an exciting and action-packed few days of racing leading into Christmas!

As we celebrate this magical time of year, we're delighted to share some highlights from the past week that have added an extra layer of excitement to the holiday season. Notably, Campionessa was stunning when claiming back-to-back Group 2 victories - she excelled in the Group 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes at Te Rapa and is now one of the hot favourites for the Group 1 Zabeel Classic on Boxing Day.

The promising 2YO colt Move To Strike was very impressive in the juvenile event earlier on the Waikato program. His dominant performance marked Te Akau stable jockey Opie Bosson's 2000th domestic win, a massive milestone in his glittering career. What a year it's been for Opie - King's Birthday Royal Honours (ONZM), induction into the NZ Racing Hall of Fame, and now joining the elite group of riders who have achieved 2000 wins in New Zealand. With our long association with Opie, both personal and professional, seeing him record his 2000th domestic win while wearing the tangerine colours was a moment in time we will treasure.

To round off a great days racing with a winning treble for the day, Fierce Flight yet again showed guts and determination to seal his Wellington win, and the weekend was capped with Commander, a horse purchased from last year's Ready to Run Sale, saluting in Singapore.

How good was it also to see Elegant Lady go three in a row at Ashburton midweek, while Sans Doute was superb, winning by three lengths at Flemington too.

The festive season is certainly not one of rest and relaxation for our racing team - they will be here, there, and everywhere over the summer 'break'! Amidst the Christmas rush, we're thrilled to bring you racing action from some of our top tracks. Tomorrow, a substantial team will 'stay home,' racing at Matamata, and we're set to have runners at Te Rapa, Trentham, Wingatui, and the much-anticipated Boxing Day Races at Pukekohe in the coming days. Our Australian stable will also be out and about with runners while Singapore's season has ended for the year and returns on 6 January.

Racing is the gift that keeps on giving this Christmas season!

So we urge you to relax over the holiday period and settle into your favourite spot and get ready for some top-class action - on Boxing Day, we will be cheering on Prise De For and Campionessa in the Group 1 Cambridge Stud Zabeel Classic. Tokyo Tycoon and Quintessa line up in the Group 2 Shaw's Wire Ropes Auckland Guineas, and some promising 2YOs aim to snare some valuable Karaka Million dollars too - one on debut to note is Cool 'N' Fast who has already attracted a Boys Get Paid futures' bet for their punters club of $50,000 to win the Karaka Million!

As we celebrate the joyous holiday season, our hearts are filled with gratitude and we can't thank you enough for your support and enthusiasm in 2023. We've had a great time on and off the track celebrating the highs, the victories, and the magic of horse racing with you. The entire Te Akau team, spanning from Matamata to the farm, Cranbourne to Kranji, joins together to wish you a Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with the thrill of the track!

Also keep an eye out for more racing excitement as we return with a special New Year's Day edition of Te Akau TV where we'll unveil thrilling updates and insights to kickstart 2024 year on a high note!