Te Akau TV - Weekend Preview

GROUP ONE STAGE SET ACROSS THE TASMAN – SYDNEY, MELBOURNE & NZ! A BIG WEEKEND AHEAD FOR THE TANGERINE!

It’s been a great 10 days for the Tangerine Team and our owners, with results continuing to roll in across the stable as we also celebrated out 100th winner!

Analysing our recent form, we’ve recorded 11 wins in the past 11 days – and importantly, we haven’t even been racing on each of those days. It’s been a massive week and a half for the team, and a real credit to everyone involved across the stable.

Congratulations to the owners of: Seize The Day (part of last year’s Colt’s Partnership – a great reminder to check out those opportunities again for 2026) and Group 1 bound this weekend, Novelette, Cool ‘N’ Fast (back to back wins), Thumbelina, She Suits Herself, Legally Binding, Savoir Faire (back to back wins), Charm Rose, Perlino (our 100th winner for the season), Origin Of Love at Group 2 level, Typhoon Lucy

That level of consistency is always rewarding to see, and a reflection of the depth and strength across the team.
We now turn our attention to a major weekend of racing, headlined by the final Group One of the New Zealand season.

Trentham takes centre stage with the Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes and the Group 1 Breeders’ Stakes, bringing together the best of our two-year-olds, fillies and mares on the national stage.

Across the Tasman, the Group One focus continues, with our stable represented in both Sydney and Melbourne, making it a true trans-Tasman weekend at the elite level.

With runners across New Zealand and Australia, it’s shaping as another exciting few days ahead for the team.

Saturday sees a strong team assembled at Te Aroha, with runners engaged across the entire programme. Feeling a bit on weather watch we are still set for a great Saturday.

We open the day with two debutantes in Paper Moon and Geneva Queen over 1150 metres, both gaining valuable race experience. In Race 2, Crown Princess and Altari step up to 2200 metres, where both profiles suggest they will appreciate the staying trip.

The three-year-old fillies’ race sees Queen’s Evidence and Emma Twigg line up, both with the ability to measure up in what looks a competitive contest. Brazen Affair resumes over 1150 metres and can make her presence felt fresh, while Viva Glam returns to 1400 metres and looks well placed to improve.

Later in the day, Colonel Warden contests the 1400 metres and, while he faces a wide draw, has the ability to feature with luck. Balance Of Power rounds out the meeting in the mile, where he is ideally drawn and looks a key chance.

At Trentham, attention turns to feature racing, and it is the last Group 1 of the season. Te Akau has won the sires produce 8 of the last 9 years.

When Stars Align returns over 1200 metres and brings quality form into the day. What You Wish For steps into the Awapuni Gold Cup over 2100 metres, a distance that looks well within his scope.

In the Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes, Seize The Day takes his place in a high-quality two-year-old contest, stepping up to elite level.

The Group 1 Breeders’ Stakes sees a strong Te Akau trio engaged, with Quintessa, Qali Al Farrasha, and Captured By Love all lining up in the 1600 metre feature, giving the stable a powerful presence in one of the season’s key races.

Across the Tasman, our Group One runners step out on major stages.

At Rosehill, Belle Cheval contests the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes over 2000 metres, stepping up in distance in what shapes as an important test at the highest level. Coming a nose to Well Written in the Kiwi we can't wait to see her step out from barrier 2.

At Flemington, Damask Rose lines up in the Group 1 Australian Cup over 2000 metres, taking on one of Australia’s premier weight-for-age contests. She has won on wet tracks before and think this a suited race for her form.

We round out the weekend on Sunday at Avoca, where Future Frankie steps out over 1860 metres, and Noble Steed contests the same trip carrying top weight.

It’s shaping as another full and exciting weekend for the Tangerine Team, with Group One opportunities, strong representation across both sides of the Tasman, and a number of runners well placed to perform.

Looking ahead the team have landed in Sydney for the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, which always presents an outstanding catalogue of colts and fillies. It’s a sale we look forward to each year, with some exceptional opportunities to secure high-quality individuals. Keep en eye out for new opportunities coming this week!

As always, thank you for your continued support, and best of luck to all of our owners with runners over the weekend.

GO THE TANGERINE!