Te Akau TV - Weekend Preview

CHAMPIONS’ DAY DELIVERS FOR THE TANGERINE!

What a day it was last weekend on Champions' Day at Ellerslie. While there were some 'ph so very close' moments, we couldn’t be more proud of the performances from our horses and the results achieved for our owners on one of the biggest days of the New Zealand racing calendar.

The highlight was undoubtedly Lara Antipova, who was simply outstanding winning the Group 1 Sistema Stakes, remaining unbeaten and continuing what has been an incredible start to her racing career. Her win gave the stable win No.9 in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes!

Earlier in the day Top Shelf also delivered a great result, and the stable had a strong presence in the NZB Kiwi, where Belle Cheval finished a tremendous second, beaten only the narrowest of margins, while He Who Dares ran a fantastic race to finish third. With the prizemoney on offer, it was an outstanding result for those ownership groups, and we were also proud to have La Dorada and To Bravery Born representing the Tangerine Team in such a significant race.

Across the Tasman we also celebrated success with Harry Met Sally winning in Australia, while at Matamata our I Am Invincible colt Seize The Day, racing in the Te Akau Colts’ Syndicate, produced an impressive performance to win in very professional fashion; Emma Twigg scored a winning debut, and we rounded off the week with two winners at Ashburton, Cool 'N' Fast and Novelette.

Champions' Day truly is the pinnacle of the season and it was fantastic to see such a huge on course crowd as this innovative day continues to evolve. on course. We are incredibly proud for our owners and of our horses - a big thank you as well to the Te Akau owners who joined us at Ellerslie to be part of the occasion.

Looking ahead to the weekend, we have runners across both New Zealand and Australia.

On Friday at Pukekohe, we have a strong team of young horses engaged, including She Suits Herself, Centurial, She Means Business, Thumbelina, Bellish Boy, and Zambrosia.

On Friday evening across the Tasman at Cranbourne, Titahi Bay lines up over 1000 metres.

Saturday’s meeting at Tauranga is headlined by the $150,000 Group 2 Japan Trophy, where Qali Al Farrasha takes her place in the feature mile. Also racing on the card are Dream Of The Moon, Egyptian Queen, Sibling Rivalry, Queen’s Evidence, and Cease And Desist.

Meanwhile at Caulfield in Australia, Cinturato contests the A$500,000 VOBIS Platinum Guineas over 1600 metres.

It shapes as another busy and exciting weekend for the Tangerine Team.

We also have our Yearling of the Week to showcase, and with the Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes and further black-type racing still ahead this season, there is plenty to look forward to in the weeks to come.

As always, thank you for your continued support and we wish the best of luck to all of our owners with runners over the weekend! GO THE TANGERINE!