Te Akau Waipa Trials' Report

Te Akau trialled horses at Waipa on Monday 17 December -

Weather: cloudy, track: Dead5, rail: out 10 metres

Heat 4 2YO 850 metres (2 ¼ lengths, head 51.7)

2 f Atlante - Taheya - Shafiq Rusof; jumped away smartly, steadied between runners to fourth, and ran home well to hold her position in a heat where positions never changed.

From the family of Love Dance (Kaapstad), winner of the Kelt Capital Stakes (Gr. 1, 2040m), Avondale Cup (Gr. 1, 2200m), and Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (Gr. 2, 2000m), and Group One placed mare Tip the Wink (Stravinsky), she is owned by Mr. Fudong Niu and Mr. Oscar Yue.

Heat 5 2YO 850 metres (1 ¼ lengths, 2 lengths 52.1)

2 g Rock ‘N' Pop - Enhance - Shafiq Rusof; secured a trailing position from barrier one, four lengths third at the 400m and closed strongly for second once balanced in the straight.

Bred and owned by Karyn Fenton-Ellis (MNZM), Lydia Ellis and Julia-Rose Ellis, he is the first foal from their talented filly Enhance (Saperavi) who stylishly won her first two starts. Bred by Karyn, the dam of Enhance, Pinstinct, from the Oregon mare Oregon Express, was a winner when trained by Mark Walker and given to her when retired from racing by the late Kim Lee.

Heat 6 2YO 850 metres (2 ¼ lengths, long head 52.4)

2 f Ghibellines - Megagem - Shafiq Rusof; began well to be second, travelled easily and a good educational performance in finishing third without urging.

Bred and owned by Brian Anderton (ONZM) and Lorraine Anderton, she is raced on lease by Vicki Baker from Hallmark Stud and friends of hers.

From the first crop of White Robe Lodge (est. 1956) stallion Ghibellines (Shamardal), who sired his first winner, El Gladiator, last Friday at Wingatui, her dam Megagem (Personal Escort) won three times over 1200 metres. A first-class family, her grand-dam Emerald Fire (Honor Grades), herself an impressive four time winner up to 2000 metres, has left seven individual winners of 33 races including Inferno (Yamanin Vital) who won the weight-for-age Canterbury Gold Cup (Gr. 3, 2000m) twice amongst 10 wins.

Ghibellines was a highly thought of colt in Australia, racing only in stakes races, winning the Todman Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m) as a two-year-old on good ground at Rosehill, and his progeny are impressing the connections. His sire, Darley stallion Shamardal (Giant's Causeway), has a fantastic pedigree, with a Mr. Prospector influence of speed and versatility, and proved himself as a sire of both juvenile and classic excellence with 18 Group One winners.

Heat 8 2YO 850 metres (¾ lengths, 2 ¾ lengths 52.6)

2 f Burgundy - Iconic - Jake Bayliss; began smartly, cover third inside the 600m and quickened impressively in the straight without much urging to win well.

Bred by Pencarrow Stud, in training for Sir Peter Vela, she is out of a Centaine mare from the family of New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Insouciant (Keeper), trained by Mark Walker for Peter & Philip Vela, and also another 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) winner, Dorabella (Postponed).

Sizzler (2 f Sizzling - O'Raghailligh) - Jordan Nason; was held together back on the inner, six lengths 600m and finished strongly along the rail to grab third.

Owned by the Te Akau Red Hot Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), purchased by David Ellis for $90,000 at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Bradbury Park. She debuted on 27 October with a notable performance for fourth to subsequent stakes winner Bavella (Snitzel) over 880 metres at Ellerslie.

Sizzling was the first son of champion stallion Snitzel (Redoute's Choice) to stand at stud, and the filly is the first foal of a mare by champion stallion O'Reilly (Last Tycoon) and in turn from a mare by the most successful sire of all time, Danehill (Danzig).  Through the grand-dam, Kerkira, who has left the impressive winning mare Emily Monk (O'Reilly), this filly carries a lovely Danehill cross in her pedigree. The family was established by the Aga Khan, and truly international.

Heat 17 Open 850 metres (2 ¾ lengths, neck 50.3)

Full of Grace (4 g O'Reilly - Tuesday's Child) - Joe Kamaruddin; began well, steadied to settle four lengths off his three rivals and finished strongly into third under minimal urging.

Bred on the same cross as champion mare Silent Achiever (O'Reilly out of a Zabeel mare), from the family of champion stallion Redoute's Choice (Danehill), he was spelled in May following a very good victory over 1400 metres at Ruakaka.  David Ellis purchased him as a yearling for $110,000 at the 2016 NZB Premier Sale, from the draft of Cambridge Stud.