Te Akau TV - Weekend Preview

TANGERINE TEAM SETS THE PACE INTO ANOTHER BIG BLACK TYPE WEEKEND!

It’s shaping as another big weekend ahead for the Tangerine Team, with strong representation across New Zealand and Australia, and a feature-packed day headlined at Ellerslie with Black Type on offer!

Before we head in to the weekend ahead it’s been another outstanding week for the Tangerine Team, with five winners across Thursday through to Saturday and plenty more to be excited about.

We kicked things off in Melbourne with Wonderful Sky, our Ole Kirk filly, delivering a stylish win and now looking towards stakes’ company in Adelaide. Saturday only built on that momentum, with Avantaggia a dominant winner at Otaki before a Riccarton treble highlighted the day. Enchantment delivered a particularly special result, becoming our 10th winner of the Listed Welcome Stakes, while Insatiable brought up his sixth career win and Cognoscenti made it back-to-back victories.

This season Te Akau now leads the NZ Trainers' Premiership for wins, Black Type wins and prize money - with 107 victories (28 ahead of the next stable), alongside $7.45 million in stakes and 16 Group and Listed wins. Across both stables we have had 130 wins, representing over $10 million in prize money for our owners.

It’s been a season defined by consistent performance and we could not do it without our ownership group!

We kick off the weekend on Friday at Te Rapa, a rescheduled meeting. Juveniles Zafar and Timeless Beauty are both on debut and have both have trialled well and will be competitive. Sibling Rivalry looks well placed in the three-year-old event, while El Viento brings his experience over 1400 metres.

We then turn to a bumper Saturday, where Ellerslie takes centre stage with a 12-horse team engaged and our key Black Type runners leading the charge. In the Listed SkyCity Star Way Stakes, Out Of The Blue for the Tangerine Army Syndicate steps out in a competitive field of 2YO's. He has continued to progress nicely and takes his place in the key juvenile feature on the programme.

Attention then turns to the Group 3 Trelawney Stud Championship Stakes, where we hold a strong hand with She Suits Herself and Fortune Cookie. Both fillies step up to 2100 metres and look well suited. It shapes as a genuine staying test and an exciting opportunity to secure valuable Black Type.

The feature action continues in the Group 3 Easter Handicap, where Top Shelf takes her place. She has been a consistent performer this preparation and looks capable of making her presence felt again in a high-quality mile contest.

Beyond the feature races, the depth of the team is evident right throughout the card.

We open the day with Altari and Crown Princess over 2100 metres, before Thumbelina contests the three-year-old grade. The sprint races see a four pronged attack with Charmrose, Celestial Wonder, Pokuru Gold, and Egyptian Queen, while Dream Of The Moon rounds out the day, giving us genuine chances across multiple races.

At Wanganui, we have a smaller but competitive presence, with She Means Business and Legally Binding both capable of delivering strong performances.

In Australia, Chateau Eze represents the stable at Mornington on Saturday, while Sunday sees our jumps' team in action at Terang.

Remember last season Mark Walker was crowned Victoria's Champion Jumps' Trainer, and also celebrated a treble in the prestigious Grand National! As we head towards the Warrnambool Carnival, it’s a strong line-up featuring Fierce Flight, alongside West Indies, Malborough Bay, The Mighty Spar, and Leaderboard, continuing the success we’ve seen from our jumpers in Australia.

All in all, it’s another weekend that highlights the scale and strength of the Te Akau operation - from two-year-olds through to seasoned performers, and across multiple venues.

With Black Type opportunities, strong numbers on the board, and momentum on our side, there is plenty to look forward to.

Best of luck to all of our owners - and as always - GO THE TANGERINE!