Te Akau TV - Your Long Weekend Plans Sorted

Champions honoured, exciting new beginnings, and a huge weekend ahead for the Tangerine Army!

It's already started with a bang - on Thursday we were thrilled to see Azazel win the Listed Geelong Classic in Victoria, paving his path to the Derby next weekend! It was a gutsy effort by the son of Shocking who was purchased at the Ready To Run Sale by OTI Racing and David Ellis - another brilliant ride too by our former Te Akau apprentice Michael Dee.

The past week has also been another memorable one for Team Tangerine! Last weekend at Ellerslie, we were thrilled to see Charm Rose and War of Succession both salute in style, delivering two fantastic wins for their connections.

Midweek at Te Aroha, we experienced a truly special, full-circle moment - watching Avantaggia break her maiden at her second start. Of course, she’s the daughter of our 9-time Group 1 winner Avantage, so seeing her step out in those familiar tangerine colours and record her first victory was a powerful reminder of a very special legacy. A big congratulations to all her owners - we’ll be following her career closely as she begins her journey to hopefully emulate her remarkable mother.

This weekend holds extra significance for Te Akau Racing, as our World Champion Sprinter, Imperatriz (I Am Invincible – Berimbau, by Shamardal), will be honoured with a race named after her on one of the most iconic days in Australian racing - Cox Plate Day at Moonee Valley.  

Known as the Queen of the Valley, due to her unbeaten status there, this bonanza race day will feature the inaugural running of the $200,000 Imperatriz Sprint (1000m) - we are so humbled by this gesture from the Moonee Valley Racing Club. It’s an incredible recognition of her extraordinary achievements and a proud moment for everyone involved with Te Akau Racing - a testament to what can be achieved through passion, teamwork, and a relentless drive for excellence.

Looking to the weekend ahead, we have a massive line-up of runners across Riccarton, Ellerslie, Trentham and Australia. Our highlight races include War of Silence, who takes his place in the Group 3 War Decree Stakes at Riccarton, as well as Cognito and Elegant Lady, who both line up in the Listed Sotheby’s Spring Classic. Cognito has been in outstanding form this season and continues to impress with his consistency, while Elegant Lady has been racing well and deserves her shot at black-type honours. We’ll also see Origin of Love contest a competitive field, and of course, a special mention must go to our 2YO Karaka Millions' 2YO contender Out Of The Blue, who steps out at Riccarton this weekend for the Tangerine Army Syndicate, such a thrill for a group of over 74 owners mostly new to racing. There’s no doubt this exciting gelding has already captured the hearts of many - and we’ll be cheering him home as he continues his path toward Karaka Millions night! 

The weekend is a little sweeter for those based in New Zealand, with a long weekend thanks to Labour Day on Monday. Your day-off entertainment is well and truly sorted, with a strong team heading to Te Rapa. An exciting line-up includes the likes of Hostility, He Who Dares, Captured By Love, and Wild Night - just to name a few.

Off the track, it’s been an exciting week for our owners and supporters as we officially launched our Te Akau Racing merchandise website - now live at https://merchandise.teakauracing.com/ - this is something we’ve been working on for some time, and we’re so proud to finally share it with you. Over the coming weeks you will find a growing collection of official Te Akau apparel and accessories, including our brand-new Te Akau Legacy Jacket - a high-end, custom manufactured jacket that’s been over a year in the making. Stock will arrive at the end of this month for immediate shipment, but numbers are limited in all sizes - so don’t wait too long to secure yours.

We’ve also introduced a custom merchandise design service, giving you the chance to create a truly personalised item for your horse or syndicate. Whether it’s a cap, jacket, or something completely unique, our creative team will work with you to bring your vision to life. Every horse deserves to be celebrated - and this idea is all about helping our owners create lasting mementos of their love for the horse, as well as their careers and achievements.

Looking ahead to next week, the excitement is blooming as we’re thrilled to confirm that Damask Rose will take her place in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington in Melbourne, a race we have won before with Melody Belle. The model of consistency, she will be reunited with her Karaka Millions' and NZB Kiwi rider Blake Shinn. She continues to go from strength to strength, and we can’t wait to see her representing the tangerine colours on one of the biggest days of the Spring carnival.

As always, thank you to our incredible owners, supporters, and passionate team in two countries.  None of this would be possible without your unwavering commitment and belief in the Te Akau way. It’s shaping up to be another big weekend across New Zealand and Australia, and we can’t wait to see more of our horses doing what they do best. Good luck to all this weekend!

And of course - GO THE TANGERINE!