Te Akau TV - Tangerine Dreams and Black-Type Schemes

Get ready to tighten your reins, put your feet in the stirrups, and sit up straight in the saddle because the 'tangerine action' we have for you on both sides of the Tasman this weekend will capture your attention!

Welcome to another exciting episode of Te Akau TV as, with NZ Co-Trainer Sam Bergerson and Australian Assistant Trainer Ben Gleeson, we dive deep into our Team Te Akau runners.

Over the past week, we've hit an incredible milestone as again we are the first stable in NZ to notch up $1 million in prize money for our owners. With a remarkable total of 34 wins and an impressive 3.21 strike rate, the season has started in fine fashion!

Last Friday, the ladies were at the helm as we hosted our vibrant Ladies' Syndicates' Day Out at Matamata. The day was brimming with excitement as we embarked on a tour of the stables, catching up with our three exciting ladies' syndicate horses: She Turns Heads, Ocean Miss, and About Last Night.  But that was just the beginning! The day's adventure continued with an Italian-style gathering featuring bubbles and delectable bites. As you can imagine, we sure know how to have a blast, and the fun just kept on flowing!

If Friday wasn't enough, many of the ladies headed to Tauranga on Saturday when one of our fillies was making her debut - About Last Night cruising home for a stylish win. To say the celebration was spirited would be an understatement! We purchased About Last Night, a $75,000 Capitalist filly out of Kissmelikearocksta, last year at Karaka and she is certainly living up to her name.  It was back-to-back success at Tauranga as we celebrated a truly gutsy performance by Puketiro. Congratulations to Christopher and Susanna Grace and their friends, you've bred, and race, another very talented filly. Special mention to Reece for hitting the mark with his 'Tangerine Bet of the Week' too.

As we eagerly anticipate yet another action-packed weekend (it seems like excitement is our constant companion these days), we see not one, not two, but SEVEN venues in our sights. Brace yourselves for some intense black-type action that's sure to keep us on the edge of our seats.

Fresh off the press for Friday, we're gearing up for an exhilarating double-header!  Rest well on Thursday night as Friday could be a long one!

First, we're off to Te Rapa, where Group 1 girls Skew Wiff and Romancing the Moon will join our racing team for exhibition gallops. Then on Friday night stay up late as the spotlight shines on Moonee Valley's electrifying night racing.

Five-time Group 1 winner Imperatriz is all the talk after her track record smashing performance last start at The Valley in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes. With Opie Bosson back in the saddle, she's gunning for her 7-strong opposition in the Group 1 Moir Stakes at 12.15am NZ time.

The last race will see unbeaten Group 2 Matamata Breeders Stakes winner Zourion, test her mettle in the Group 3 Scarborough Stakes, in the famous Probabeel colours of Brendan and Jo Lindsay.

Saturday promises to be an exhilarating two-country party for the tangerine brigade, as we have a whopping fourteen runners ready to hit the tracks — seven up North and seven down South plus one in Australia!

In the Mighty Hawke's Bay, it's all about Group 1 hopefuls as Campionessa and Aromatic gear up to compete in the Arrowfield Stud Plate. This race has been particularly generous to us in previous years, with legends like Princess Coup, Gingernuts, and Melody Belle (who won this race three times) gracing the winners' circle.

The excitement doesn't end there — Tokyo Tycoon is poised to pounce in the Group 2 AHD Animal Health Direct Hawke's Bay Guineas following his last start victory at the same track in the Listed El Roca – Sir Colin Meads Trophy!

Meanwhile in Christchurch, our team is diligently preparing for upcoming Cup Week commitments, and the team is firing in the south with an outstanding strike rate. We’re also really looking forward to Fortuna's Rubican Crossing, stepping out for the first time in Australia at Mornington and our Kranji team flying the flag in Singapore.

The weekend keeps rolling with Luxuriant, our solo runner at Woodville on Sunday.

Don't forget to catch Sam Bergerson's unbeaten 'Tangerine Tip of The Weekend.' With a 100% strike rate, it's certainly worth having a penny each way on his selection.

To all our dedicated team members, horses and owners with horses racing across three countries this weekend, our heartfelt thanks for your unwavering commitment.

The stage is set and we can't wait - GO THE TANGERINE!