Te Akau TV - Racing Into One of Our Biggest Weekends Ever!
21 March, 2024
Here we are once again, ready to dive into our weekend preview with racing manager Reece Trumper and Australian assistant trainer Ben Gleeson, ahead of what could be a historic weekend for Te Akau Racing. With our horses set to compete at the elite level across two counties, excitement is in the air and it’s contagious!
First up - our featured yearling of the week is Lot 358, a classy brown Bivouac colt out of Pierro mare Whitehaven. We purchased him from the draft of Segenhoe Stud and this promising boy will be trained from our Cranbourne stable. Bivouac, a sensational racehorse himself, has produced some outstanding progeny, and we're thrilled to have secured one of his first offerings.
We are stunned there are still shares in him - check our his fantastic pedigree which includes Group 1 Doncaster winner Skating, who topped the Australian 3YO Classification. Then there's close relation and Champion 2YO Vancouver, the Golden Slipper winner and successful sire. This colt boasts an impressive physique, displaying a loose, fluid action, terrific stride, and plenty of scope. Learn more about him here: https://www.teakauracing.com/yearling/lot-358-bivouac-whitehaven-bay-or-brown-colt
Our owners have enjoyed another successful week - last Saturday Te Akau won four races in a row at Tauranga with Family Ties, Fashion Shoot, Valentine, and Aequus all victorious, with Kith 'n' Kin chiming in for boasting rights at Wingatui on Sunday. NZ season win 128 came up midweek at Pukekoke through the dour deeds of Treaty of Paris, our sole runner on the day.
This weekend, all eyes are on Melbourne as we anticipate an action-packed day at The Valley - it will be Te Akau’s biggest day in Australia to date - a significant milestone for the whole team with five starters, four contesting Group races.
Our stable star, Imperatriz, remains unbeaten at The Valley and is set to defend her crown in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes. It doesn't seem a whole year since we were overwhelmed by her dominance when she claimed her first William Reid - she went on of course to become the only horse to complete the Moonee Valley Group 1 Triple crown. That was her first Group 1 win in Australia and the start of a phenomenal story for the Queen of the Valley.
Berri, as we know her, has now won five of her nine Group 1 titles in Australia, as well as a Group 2 and she's also twice been Group 1 runner up there. Not forgetting she has twice smashed a Moonee valley track record, one being her own.
Group 1 winners Quintessa and Campionessa also step out at The valley, the latter in search of another Group 2 victory in Australia. With one already under her belt at Flemington, she's been installed as favourite for the Group 2 Sunlike Stakes, facing seven opponents. Quintessa lines up in the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes after a very good fourth in the Group 1 Australian Guineas, while freshly-arrived Certainly takes on the Group 3 Alexandra Stakes. It will be Prismatic who gets the ball rolling however as he steps out in the first race of the Melbourne day.
Our stable at Cranbourne, Victoria, under the guidance of trainer Mark Walker, is on fire. In Australia, our stable boasts 11 metropolitan wins this season in Melbourne and the highest winning percentage (30%) among the top 20 trainers. It was almost another last night too with Savoir Faire very unlucky not to win, being held up at a vital stage, and carrying top weight.
At Tauranga, it's Cognito and Aotea Lad in line for Group 2 Japan Trophy honours while in the south, Elegant Lady is set to showcase her talent in the Group 3 South Island Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes.
As we gear up for this thrilling weekend of racing, we're hugely grateful for your continued support. It's going to be a Saturday bursting with action - so strap in and get ready to cheer on your tangerine Te Akau Racing team as it aims for glory on both sides of the Tasman!!