Te Akau Wins Another Grp 1 Guineas

Yes we are very excited - and the story will be coming soon BUT Te Akau's Costa Viva has just beaten the hot pot Bounding to claim the $300,000 Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas.  Stablemate Spellbinder also went a ripper of a race to finish third.

Costa Viva becomes Te Akau's 7th Guineas' winner in the past ten years - no stable has a record even close to this - King's Chapel, Darci Brahma, Tell A Tale and Rock 'n' Pop being Te Akau's Group 1 2000 Guineas' winners and Insouciant, King's Rose and now Costa Viva all victorious in the Group 1 1000 Guineas.

Well done to Jason and also Pam who has been residing in the south with our Riccarton team - remembering too that Chambord was runner up last week in the Group 1 2000 Guineas.  So effectively the team has had a Guineas' win, a Guineas' second and a Guineas' third this week!

To cap it off Viana also won the Listed Spring Classic at Riccarton too!

Well done to Dave and Nicky Hurst, Dianne Ford and Ray and Jan Batten who race Costa Viva - this daughter of Encosta de Lago was actually purchased by David Ellis from the Gold Coast Sale for them for $100,000 to replace a High Chaparral filly that they owned who had sadly died.

It's great that such success has come from that sad event!

David has now bought three Group 1 winners from the June Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale - Princess Coup, Tell A Tale and now Costa Viva.

Costa Viva claiming the Listed Ray Coupland Stakes at her previous start.