Te Akau's Incredible Year in Review - March 2020

It's been an amazing season for Te Akau in New Zealand - with Jamie Richards and the team leading the way - March this year unfortunately saw New Zealand head in to COVID-19 lockdown. This meant an unprecedented cessation of racing before March was over ... nonetheless it was a huge month for the tangerine team, including a Group 1 double at Ellerslie on Auckland Cup Day ...

7 March  - Jamie Richards produced another masterful training performance when Savy Yong Blonk  (4 m Savabeel - Ampin, by Pins) returned with an enormous victory in the $50,000 Royal Descent Stakes (Fillies & Mares, 1600m) on Auckland Cup Day at Ellerslie.

Richards elected to freshen-up the mare following a terrific second in the City of Auckland Cup (Gr. 3, 2400m) on 1 January at Ellerslie, and had her cherry-ripe for the mile.

“It's great when it comes together after you've planned for a race a few weeks out,” said Richards, who through the week advanced from 14^thto ninth in the TRC Global Trainers Rankings.

Bred to be good, Savy Yong Blonk is turning into somewhat of a revelation for owner-breeders Bill and Jim Gartshore.

7 March - Cool Aza Beel (2 c Savabeel - Cool ‘N' Sassy, by Testa Rossa), a strong contender to give Te Akau their eighth Champion Two-Year-Old title, produced shades of his $1m Karaka Million 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) victory when waltzing home in the $200,000 Sistema Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) on Auckland Cup Day at Ellerslie.

In a race that rounded out some incredible figures for 30-year-old trainer Jamie Richards, who produced two Group One winners a week earlier when Probabeel (Savabeel) and Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle) both roared home at Royal Randwick, in Sydney, Cool Aza Beel became his 10^thGroup One winner for the season and his 30^thin total.

In January, Cool Aza Beel had given Te Akau a four-peat in the Karaka Million, following Horse of the Year Melody Belle (Commands), Champion Two-Year-Old Avantage (Fastnet Rock), and $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (Restricted Listed, 1600m) winner Probabeel (Savabeel), and he added to the list of three in the last four years (six in total) of Te Akau horses to win the Sistema, after Heroic Valour (Fastnet Rock), Sword of Osman (Savabeel), and Yourdeel (Dundeel).

Purchased by David Ellis for $150,000 at the 2019 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Fairdale Stud, Cool Aza Beel is owned by the Te Akau Sassy Beel Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM) and now the winner of four from six and $707,560. 

7 March  - Avantage (4 m Fastnet Rock - Asavant, by Zabeel) capped an incredible Group One treble in the $200,000 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m) on Auckland Cup Day at Ellerslie.

A dream mare, by a Champion Sire, out of a very good filly that won the Warstep Stakes (Listed, 2000m), one of the best races in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, and Group One placed over 2000 metres, by a Champion Sire and Broodmare Sire. She has it all.

“All the credit goes back to David Ellis buying this type of horse at the sales,” said Opie Bosson, who rode each of the three Te Akau winners at Ellerslie.

A Champion Two-Year-Old, after victories in the Karaka Million (Restricted Listed, 1200m) and Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m), Avantage has won $1.4 million in prize money with 10 wins from 17 starts for owners in the Te Akau Avantage Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM). She was purchased as a yearling for $210,000 by David Ellis at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale.

7 March  - On the same day at Trentham, the new Cambridge Stud colours of Brendan Lindsay (MNZM) & Jo Lindsay remained to the fore aboard impressive debutante winner Pazienza  (2 f Written Tycoon - Gypsy Chimes, by Snow Ridge) in the Maiden 2YO 1000 metres.

A week earlier, the gold & black chequers were carried by Probabeel (Savabeel) to a thrilling victory in the Surround Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) at Royal Randwick.

While Probabeel was impressive winning her second start, following a debut second, and on her way to winning the Karaka Millon 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m), Pazienza went one better in victory by five and three-quarter lengths for rider Rosie Myers.

“She's a filly that we really like and just taken a little while for everything to fall into place,” said trainer Jamie Richards, celebrating his 90^thwin for the season. 

11 March  - Get Hitched  (3 f Lonhro - Wedding, by Commands) continued the fine combination of Cambridge Stud owned horses trained by Jamie Richards when winning the Maiden 1200 metres at Matamata.

“It looked like it might be a bit sticky early, but Opie (Bosson) is riding in a great vain of form and he's a confidence man,” Richards said. “She's a promising filly that Brendan & Jo (Lindsay) sent back from Australia, and the key to her was just a little bit of easing in the ground. I'd say she's got a good future in front of her.”

11 March  - Making it a double for the meeting, Markus Aurelius (3 g Ghibellines - Evancho, by Shinzig) produced an excellent gallop to win Maiden 1400 metres under a no panic ride by Opie Bosson.

Backed into microscopic odds ($1.50) after two strong performances, Markus Aurelius fittingly won the race sponsored by Cox Plate 100 NZ Tour, after stable-mate and recent dual Group One winner Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle) finished third in the iconic event last year.

Purchased by David Ellis for $13,000 at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock South Island Sale, from the draft of White Robe Lodge, and owned by the Te Akau Great Southern Man Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn-Fenton Ellis), Markus Aurelius has a lovely cross of the most successful sire of all time: Danehill (349 stakes winners), through the dam side of Ghibellines and as the sire of dam sire Shinzig. His dam, Evancho (Shinzig), won four times to 2100 metres.

14 March  - Stakes' placed as a three-year-old and a winner in the spring, Luminous  (4 m Reliable Man - Keenly, by Keeninsky) resumed with a super win in the Rating 72 1400 metres at Tauranga.

A white filly, purchased by David Ellis for $180,000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, from the draft of Diamond Lodge, owned by the Te Akau Flawless Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Luminous finished third in the Royal Stakes (Gr. 2, 2000m) during three starts in her first campaign, before winning second-up over 1800 metres in October at Taupo.

“She was pretty impressive and certainly looks like she can prove competitive again at stakes' level,” said David Ellis. “We couldn't have asked for anymore than the way she won today.”

14 March  - Recent winner Te Akau Caliburn (5 h Camelot - Enchanted Evening, by High Chaparral) gave everything when finishing second against a hardened field in the $50,000 New Zealand St Leger (Listed, 2600m) at Trentham.

A gorgeous horse, purchased privately by David Ellis in Europe, he is owned by the Te Akau 2019 European Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

15 March - A filly that had done nothing wrong, Vicenza  (3 f Sacred Falls - Tonic, Blues Traveller) made it back-to-back wins in the President's Mile (Rating 65, 1600m) at Woodville.

After trialling well, Vicenza capped two strong finishes when winning the Maiden 1400 metres with plenty of authority in February at Wairoa, and delivered again in the hands of Ryan Elliot.

Bred and owned by Paul Ryan, she is from the first crop of quadruple Group One winner Sacred Falls (O'Reilly), out of triple stakes winning mare Tonic (Blues Traveller).

18 March - Able to dictate terms in front for rider Danielle Johnson, Shezathinka  (4 m So You Think - Headsup, by Thorn Park) bolted home in the Rating 72 2200 metres at Rotorua.

Formerly one of the highest rated Maiden gallopers in New Zealand, due largely to a terrific performance for second in the Lowland Stakes (Gr. 2, 2100m) last season, she broke that status in September at Matamata, and dropped in class after contesting the Rating 72 2100 metres on Derby Day (Feb. 29) at Ellerslie.

Purchased by David Ellis for $175,000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, from the draft of Kilgravin Lodge, owned by the Te Akau Think Fast Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Shezathinka is by ten-time Group One winner So You Think (High Chaparral), from five-time winning mare Headsup (Thorn Park), herself very consistent and impressive winning over 1400 metres and 1600 metres.

18 March  - Making it a double for the day, Aromatic  (3 f Sacred Falls - Vickezzchardonnay, by Don Eduardo) broke through at her third start with an effortless victory in the NZB Insurance Pearl Series Maiden 1400 metres (eligible $11,500 bonus) at Rotorua.

After charging home for second in the fastest last 600m (34.7) on debut in the Maiden 1200 metres on 27 January at Te Teko, she was strong again when narrowly defeated in the Maiden 1400 metres on 16 February at Gisborne, but no near miss on this occasion as she distanced her rivals under Ryan Elliot to win by six and a half lengths.

Purchased by David Ellis for $160,000 at the 2018 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Milan Park, which also produced recent debut winning stable-mate High Achiever (Pins), Aromatic is owned by the Te Akau Sacred Wine Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM). Her dam, Vickezzchardonnay, by the highest priced yearling to ever sell at Karaka - Don Eduardo ($3.6 million) (Zabeel) - was an impressive five-time winner from 1600m to 2100m. Aromatic is the fifth foal and third individual winner from the mare. 

21 March - Recording the 20^thstakes win for the season (11 Group Ones), Scott Base  (5 g Dalghar - Extra Celestial, by Danehill Dancer) romped away in the $100,000 Japan Trophy (Gr. 2, 1600m) at Tauranga, taking the win tally to 99 for trainer Jamie Richards.  

In just his second season of training solo, and including victories in Australia, Richards recently notched his 200^thwin when Aromatic (Sacred Falls) saluted impressively on 18 March at Rotorua, having finished his first season (2018-19) with 98 wins. 

Ridden by Danielle Johnson, Scott Base raced away to score by two and three-quarter lengths for owners Chris Rutten, John Norwood, and Joanna & John Frew. A talented horse that had previously won the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (Restricted Listed, 1600m) and Wellington Guineas (Gr. 2, 1400m), he was seen getting back to his best recently when finishing third in the Anniversary Handicap (Gr. 3, 1600m) and fourth to stable-mate Prise De Fer (Savabeel) in the Taranaki Cup (Gr. 3, 1800m).

“It was picture-perfect ride by Danielle (Johnson) and one that they should show at Apprentice School,” said Te Akau principal David Ellis.  â€œAnd to win a race for Chris Rutten and his team of owners is a hell of an honour. He's a good friend and a champion bloke.

“We trained Yourdeel to win both the Sistema Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) and Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) for him and he became our seventh Champion Two-Year-Old.  

“It suited a professional like Chris that we have a treadmill and swimming pool we can use in training horses like Scott Base, given a few soundness problems he's had over the years.” 

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