Te Akau's Cox Plate Countdown

The $5 million Cox Plate (Gr. 1, 2040m) is a sensational sporting event and Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle) takes his place on Saturday in a bid for glory.

Bonecrusher (Pag-Asa) and Waverley Star (Star Way) fought out a titanic battle in 1986, powerhouse Sunline (Desert Sun) blew them away in 1990 and 2000, and from New Zealand bred and raced mare Vegas Showgirl (Al Akar), ultimate champion Winx (Street Cry) won the last four before retiring earlier this year. The list of Cox Plate winners is incredible. 

From his debut win over 1200 metres at Te Rapa, when running the fastest 600m on the day (34.7), to his last start second in the Epsom Handicap (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Randwick, Te Akau Shark has come a long way in a short time. His five wins and three seconds from nine starts has earned $500,841 in prize money, for his owners.

Te Akau Shark was in a league of his own when crossing the line six lengths clear in the Coupland's Bakeries Mile (Gr. 2, 1600m) last November at Riccarton, looking every bit a potential Group One contender, both in NZ and Australia, and that prospect has come to fruition.

Comments from Coupland's sponsor Ray Coupland have rung true, too: “He has to have been the most impressive winner of the race,” Coupland said. “He's a very classy horse that will have to go to Australia, and I think he'll give them a bit of a shake up too.”

Prior to the Epsom, Te Akau Shark had emulated his debut performance, running the fastest 600m (35.7) on the day when closing hard for second in the Foxbridge Plate (Gr. 2, 1200m) in August at Te Rapa, and followed in the Tramway Stakes (Gr. 2, 1400m) in September at Randwick, where he was cluttered before getting into second. 

Readying the horse from stables at Flemington, Melbourne, ahead of his Cox Plate assignment at nearby Moonee Valley, trainer Jamie Richards reported in after Te Akau Shark had galloped this morning at ‘The Valley', which was followed by Breakfast with the Best and a live draw.

“He changed legs nicely when working on the course this morning and Opie (Bosson) was pretty happy with how he felt,” Richards said. “He's fairly adaptable. He went to Sydney, having not previously raced right-handed, and seemed to handle that well. So, I don't think there will be too many worries in handling the Moonee Valley track and the cambers on it. 

“There doesn't appear to be a lot of speed in the Cox Plate this year, but it always seems to develop into a truly run race. Obviously, we just have to go back off the outside gate (14) and hopefully he finds a good tail into the race. 

“It's a privilege to have a runner in the Cox Plate. We're very lucky at Te Akau Racing to have some good horses around us that have been bought by David Ellis, and it's been a big effort by the staff for him to have performed very well in Sydney, and get him down to Melbourne, where he has settled in well at the stables at Flemington. He's done a bit of travelling now, but he seems quite happy.

“The 2040 metres seems ideal for him. He's bred to get that sort of distance, being stoutly bred on his dam side, and hopefully the trip will suit him. He didn't take too long to come through the Epsom, having a few quiet days before coming to Melbourne. He's spent a bit of time at the beach and he's enjoying his work. We're certainly happy enough with him heading into Saturday.

“We had some interest from Australian jockeys trying to attain the ride on Te Akau Shark for the Cox Plate, but Opie knows him well.

“We'll have a big team of owners here to support him. A few boys down from Sydney, and a majority of the Kiwi owners as well, so we're really looking to it and extremely proud to be representing New Zealand in an International race.

“He's got a big job in front of him, but hopefully we can come up with planning to help negate the draw.”

Out of Waikato Cup (Gr. 2, 2400m) winner Bak da Chief (Chief Bearhart), from a terrific Hollinshead-bred family, Te Akau Shark was purchased by David Ellis for $230,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock 2016 Ready to Run Sale, from the draft of Lyndhurst Farm, and with the 2019 Ready to Run Sale approaching (Nov. 21 - 22) it is fitting to see a graduate contest the Cox Plate.

The sale has been good to Ellis in recent times - the offering of two-year-olds also giving rise to triple Group One winner Gingernuts (Iffraaj), Group One winner Hall of Fame (Savabeel), Derby runner-up Mongolianconqueror (Ocean Park), Group Three winner Royal Success (Savabeel), and recent stakes' placed winners Shezathinka (So You Think) and Luminous (Reliable Man).

“We've bought some terrific horses from the Ready to Run Sale, which is only four weeks away, and we've already started looking at the horses to buy this year,” said Ellis, the leading buyer at Karaka for the past 14 years.

“Having bought Te Akau Shark from this sale and being able to see him contest the Cox Plate is a huge credit to his ability and job that Jamie (Richards) and all the Te Akau staff has done.

“So many people love racing horses and there are so many things they enjoy about it. Not only going to the races to see their horses run and the friendships they make with other owners, but being able to visit them when they're spelling or at the stables, going to the trials, the communications and photos and videos we provide. It's all a huge part it. 

“Our owners have a lot of fun travelling and meeting up together at the races. It's what life's all about and having a horse or two at the heart of it is fantastic.” 

Te Akau Shark is currently $14.00 & $4.00 fixed odds on the NZ TAB for the Cox Plate.

Back