Te Akau TV - Talk Derby To Me!
29 February, 2024
Derby Delight and Guineas Glamour takes the lead this weekend!
We’re back again with Te Akau TV, your weekend preview, where the thrill of trans-Tasman racing takes centre stage once again! The weekend promises an electrifying spectacle as the action unfolds across the tracks of Australia and New Zealand.
Reece Trumper, Te Akau's Racing Manager, joins us this week to guide us through the recent successes of our talented team, and give his thoughts on the weekend ahead.
Prepare to be spoiled for choice as Te Akau runners gear up to chase glory in not just one, but TWO prestigious Group 1 races trans-Tasman. The highly anticipated Group 1 Trackside New Zealand Derby returns to Ellerslie this year, while the equally prestigious Group 1 Howden Australian Guineas will be staged at Flemington - did you know that track actually features on the Australia National Heritage list?
It's been a huge past seven days and before we immerse ourselves in the action that beckons, we want to reflect on the unprecedented opportunities available in the New Zealand racing industry at this moment in time.
Tuesday marked a historic milestone for thoroughbred racing in this country, with The NZB Kiwi slots going under the hammer. With the inaugural running in 2025, The NZB Kiwi will be the richest race for 3YOs in the southern hemisphere and Te Akau Racing was thrilled to secure one of the nine slots auctioned on the night. We were determined to do this - why? We now hold this slot for three years and we made this commitment so that Te Akau owners can have the best opportunity to compete at the highest level of racing. It was an absolute no-brainer for us to make sure that our owners could be involved.
There is good news being announced on an almost weekly basis in New Zealand and we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead - racing has never been more exciting!
So yes, a big past week and it started off last Saturday - with four wins including Group 2 victories at Matamata and in Melbourne!
At Matamata we celebrated El Viento, Freeze Frame and the undefeated 2YO sensation, Captured By Love saluting the judge. Captured By Love has now won all four of her career starts, three at Group level. Her win was Te Akau's 10th Matamata Breeders title - every local trainer loves winning this race as the winning colours are painted on the jockey statue in the birdcage straight after the race, and there they stay for a whole year, giving the successful trainers bragging rights!
Speaking of remarkable achievements, Campionessa delivered a stellar performance at Caulfield by clinching victory in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes. Following her awe-inspiring win in the Group 1 Zabeel Classic, Campionessa's triumph in Australia serves as testament to her talent and tenacity. There are not many horses that can say they defeated two Melbourne Cup winners, with our girl beating Vow And Declare and Gold Trip, in a head-bobbing finish.
We talked about the opportunities in New Zealand racing - but the lucrative stakes on offer in Australia are also in our sights for our owners. Our Cranbourne stable is the perfect partner to our Kiwi operation - Te Akau owners can now enjoy trans-Tasman racing opportunities. Just look at Campionessa's stirring Group 2 victory last weekend, after flying in three days prior. Her travel companion Quintessa hunts Group 1 spoils on Saturday at Flemington, and Sans Doute steps out there too. Our strike rate is one of the very best in Victoria - currently standing at 3.2 and we have won over $5.2 million from our Australian stable for owners this season alone.
Thursday saw another double for Te Akau owners - Altari was very impressive on debut. He is a Savabeel colt that we offered shares in as a weanling (he topped the weanling sale) and he looks to have huge upside. How good was it to see our first ladies' syndicate horse She Turns Heads break maiden ranks? We knew the win was close, after all, she had notched up five seconds and four thirds from just 11 starts! Go the Girls!
Tomorrow is shaping up to be a sensational Saturday of racing at Ellerslie - Trackside Derby Day and the official start of Auckland Cup Week. Our team is ready for the challenge and hoping we can provide a Derby upset. Ascend the Throne and What You Wish For will lead the charge. It's a race that evokes fond memories of Gingernuts' incredible winning performance before his subsequent victory in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas in Sydney.
We have a strong support team stepping out at the ‘Big E’ with Petrucci in the Group 3 Haunui Farm King's Plate; Certainly, Trobriand and Talisker contest the Group 3 Mainstream Plumbing Mufhasa Stakes, and Qali Al Farrasha has the Group 3 Sunline Vase in her sights.
In the south, our red-hot team is headed by Mazzucato, Sense of Timing, and Lady of Court, who take on the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes. Later on Saturday evening, it's time for racing from Singapore.
With the seamless transfer of our horses to our Australian stable as mentioned earlier, it's evident that Te Akau is the premier choice for owners now that we have our Cranbourne base as well as our South Island stable to complement our Matamata operation. With an exceptional team overseeing our horses, racing with us provides unparalleled opportunities for success on the track.
Who's got a sister? Love them don't you? Well, there is a huge amount to love about our "Yearling of the Week" Lot 155 our Satono Aladdin/Justlikeyasister filly - she's feeling a bit like your sister sometimes, a bit unloved!!
It's incredible watching which yearling shares sell first - the final shares in Imperatriz and Avantage, Cool Aza Beel, and Tokyo Tycoon were amongst the very last to be sold, there's no rhyme nor reason! Satono Aladdin has made a huge impact as a sire in New Zealand - there's Tokyo Tycoon, our Karaka 2YO Million winner and Champion 2YO and Satono Aladdin is also the sire of NZ Stayer of the Year and trans-Tasman Group 1 winner Pennyweka, and other Group winners like Lantern Way, Sacred Satono and Lupo Solitario.
He has stamped stunning good looks all over this filly and we know how tough those Japanese bloodlines are. She is a beautiful physical specimen whose mother won five races up to 1600m. She has stardom in her sights and is all physical substance and quality! Check her out on our website by clicking here: https://www.teakauracing.com/yearling/lot-155-satono-aladdin-justlikeyasister-bay-filly
Anticipating the week ahead, we eagerly await Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup Day whilst the stage is set in Melbourne with Imperatriz confirmed to line up in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap.
Wishing all our team and owners the very best of luck this weekend - let’s bring it on! GO THE TANGERINE!