Te Akau's 8th Karaka 2YO Millions' Victory

26 January, 2025

Te Akau's 8th Karaka 2YO Millions' Victory


On a hectic night of action, toughness won out when La Dorada (2 f Super Seth – Gold Fever, by Savabeel) beat 13 rivals in the $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) on Saturday at Ellerslie.

Taking her record to two wins and a second from three starts, La Dorada had overcome a tough trip to win on debut in the 2YO 1100 metres in November at Te Rapa, before finishing second in the Group 2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) on 1 January at Ellerslie, and started second favourite behind stable-mate To Bravery Born (Snitzel).

Ridden by visiting Australian jockey Craig Williams – the consummate professional – La Dorada pushed through to be shadowed in front, but cornered and travelled well turning for home, found plenty when asked to extend at the 200m and ended up drawing clear for an impressive victory.

The evident focus of Williams seemed to rub off on the filly, as well, and the pair were very much in the zone. 

The win put Te Akau Racing back at the top of the tree in a race they have dominated in recent years. The stable won the race seven times in succession between 2017 – 2023 and now has the jewel in the crown back on its mantle.

For reigning Champion Trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, who lead the Premiership again this season, the win was most fitting, especially on the eve of the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sales Series (26 Jan-3 Feb) at Karaka.

“It’s terrific to win the race again and great for Sam (Bergerson), Walker said. “I’ve been spending time at our stables in Melbourne, so full credit to Sam, Nicole (Shailer), Reece (Trumper), and the team at home in Matamata.

“It’s good to win on the big stage, always, and well done to David Ellis to buy eight individual winners of this race. You could anywhere in the world to try and find someone that has bought eight individual winners of a race like this, you wouldn’t find them. So full credit to him and to Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) for syndicating her. 

“She just paraded so well and looked a picture. I spoke to Opie (Bosson) coming up today. He’s still a huge part of our team, Opie, and Craig Williams rode her a treat. 

“The staff have been working hard and it’s this time of year that you’ve got to raise the bar, and everyone has.

“It is fun being part of this night and full credit to New Zealand Bloodstock, Auckland Thoroughbred Racing, and everyone involved. The biggest night on the racing calendar and Te Akau loves being part of it.”

On Soft5 footing, La Dorada ran 1200 metres in 1:10.7 and paid $3.50 & $1.20 on the NZ TAB tote.

Stable-mate To Bravery Born, who garnered favouritism following his win in the 2YO 1200 metres on 12 January at Ellerslie, received a nice trip three back on the inner and finished strongly for fourth, missing third by a nose. 

To Bravery Born was ridden by Blake Shinn, a race before scoring aboard stable-mate Damask Rose (Savabeel) in the $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO (Restricted Listed, 1600m).

Owned by the Te Akau Solid Gold Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), La Dorada was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $190,000, from the draft of Waikato Stud, at the 2024 Karaka Book 1 Sale, and the win boosted her earnings to $615,125. 

Te Akau had first-hand knowledge of the family, with David Ellis having bought the dam Gold Fever as a yearling for A$110,000, from the draft of Sledmere Stud, at the 2016 Gold Coast Yearling Sale – and she too carries the Waikato Stud brand.

Gold Fever made a made a perfect start to her racing career with a dominant three and a half length win and became a finalist for Champion Two-Year-Old and Horse of the Year following her victory in the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m) and placing in the Sistema Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m).

In a brief career, Gold Fever won three of her six starts, while finishing third in the others, and being by eight-time Champion Sire Savabeel (Zabeel) she has the best possible chance of making it as a broodmare.

Super Seth made a fantastic impact as a three-year-old colt, especially when ‘coming from nowhere’ to beat race favourite Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) in the Caulfield Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m). 

By sire of sires High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells), Super Seth is a son of six-time Group One winner Dundeel, a very good sire in Australia, with 66 stakes wins including 13 Group One. 

With his oldest crop only three-year-olds, the progeny of Super Seth has impressed trainers from the outset, as horses with great natural strength and talent, and La Dorada became his fifth individual stakes winner. 

At the time of purchase, Ellis said: “She’s a really strong filly by Super Seth, who is certainly making a name for himself with first crop two-year-olds showing some real ability on the race tracks.

“Super Seth was a colt that had an incredible turn of foot and the mating with such a talented filly in Gold Fever is very exciting. 

“Super Seth is putting a lot of strength into his progeny and this filly has oodles of it and bred to be a real two-year-old type.”

Grand-dam Gold Rocks (Oratorio) not only had Gold Fever win the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m), but also her half-sister Gold Rush (So You Think) won it too, while Te Akau has won the race nine times, most recently in 2024 with Captured By Love (Written Tycoon).

La Dorada carries a cross of Champion Sire Zabeel (Sir Tristram) on the dam line of grand sire Dundeel (High Chaparral) and sire line of Gold Fever. 

La Dorada was strapped by Aiman Azrul.  


Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

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