Te Akau's Incredible Year in Review - November 2019

It's been an amazing season for Te Akau in New Zealand - with Jamie Richards and the team leading the way - in coming weeks, join us on our reflection of every remarkable month ....

1 November - Stakes' placed Challa (3 g Dissident - Are There Any, by Exceed and Excel) made a welcome return to racing with a dominant victory in the Maiden 3YO 1100 metres at New Plymouth.

Extremely unlucky in his first
campaign, beaten narrowly at each of his first three starts including second in
the Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) to subsequent Canterbury Belle Stakes
(Listed, 1200m) winner Miss Federer (Swiss Ace), Challa managed the lead
comfortably, with jockey Michael McNab steadying the pace, and came clear when
he let the brakes go at the 300m.

Challa is from the first crop of Australian Horse of the Year and Champion Sprinter Dissident (Sebring). The winner of five Group Ones, he was known for his exceptionally tough qualities when winning from 1000 metres to 1600 metres. The mating also has a lovely cross of the greatest sire of stakes winners in the world, Danehill (Danzig).

2 November - After nine Group Ones in NZ, Melody Belle (5 m Commands - Meleka Belle, by Iffraaj) took her tally to 10 with a brilliant victory in the $1 million Empire Rose Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) on Derby Day (Nov. 2) at Flemington, Melbourne.

The New Zealand Horse of the Year
made history at her previous start when becoming the first to win the Triple
Crown, with victory in the Livamol Classic (Gr. 1, 2040m) at Hastings, and put
the icing on the cake a week after Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle) had finished
third in the Cox Plate (Gr. 1, 2040m).

In a performance not dissimilar to her outstanding Tarzino Trophy (Gr. 1, 1400m) win in August at Hastings, Melody Belle came from 13^th, angled wide on the track at the 400m and powered past her rivals to win by one and a half lengths under Opie Bosson.

While it may not have been the race that stops a nation, it certainly drew the focus of racing fans in New Zealand, and provided a stellar moment on the first day of the Melbourne Spring Carnival at Flemington.

In Australia, the former Champion Two-Year-Old had previously won the Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 2, 1400m) at Eagle Farm (Brisbane).

2 November - Presented in tremendous order, last start winner Prise De Fer (4 g Savabeel - Foiled, by Snippets) carried top weight (60kgs) to victory in the Rating 72 1600 metres at Pukekohe.

Less than an hour after Melody Belle had won the Empire Rose Stakes (Gr. 1,1600m) at Flemington, Prise De Fer kept the momentum going with a tough victory. Having arrived with a big finish to win in the same grade over 1400 metres on 6 October at Te Teko, Prise De Fer showed plenty of heart with an extra two-kilo weight burden under rider Michael McNab.

3 November - Summer Monsoon (5 g Stratum - Princess Narine, by Red Ransom) was a winner previously in November as a two-year-old, during a campaign when finishing second in the Matamata Slipper (Listed, 1200m), and he returned to winning form stylishly in the Rating 65 1400 metres at Motukarara.

“It was fantastic to see him win again,” said David Ellis. “Our horses in Matamata, Riccarton, and Melbourne, are all racing really well.”

6 November - In training for breeder Joan Egan, Reiko (3 f Reliable Man - Lady Eiko, by Stravinsky) recorded a very good debut victory in the Maiden 1200 metres at Avondale.

Ridden by Matt Cameron, who took
his tally of wins for Te Akau to 236, Reiko settled seventh on the inner, six
lengths 600m, tracked up the rail before angling off at the 200m and the richly
coloured filly was too strong over the concluding stages.

Egan also bred Group One winning stable-mate and Champion Two-Year-Old nominee Sword of Osman, bought by David Ellis at Karaka.

7 November - Perfectly poised going to the start, Romantic Lady (3 f Power - Romantic Time, by Fastnet Rock) went on for a very good victory in the Maiden 3YO 1200 metres at Otaki.

Aided by a cunning ride by Rosie
Myers, who was successful on stable-mates Pokuru's Gift (Rock ‘n' Pop) and Vino
Bella (Burgundy) in October at Tauherenikau, Romantic Lady was able snooker a
favoured rival in the trail around the home turn and kept going strongly after
challenging to lead at the 250 metres.

Having her third start, the win would set up a hat-trick for the filly purchased by David Ellis for $92,500 at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Cambridge Stud, and owned by Sir Patrick Hogan, John Aubrey, Richard Johnstone, Michael Macky, James Montgomerie, and Warwick Taylor.

9 November - After recording her 10^th Group One victory with a brilliant performance in the Empire Rose Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) a week earlier at Flemington, Melody Belle (5 m Commands - Meleka Belle, by Iffraaj) contested the $2m Mackinnon Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m). Again ridden by Opie Bosson, her effort for second to Magic Wand (Galileo) was huge. Without luck and back in the field, she was held up at a vital stage before charging home from a mile back.

12 November - Given a gorgeous ride by Opie Bosson, Ginger Too (3 g Iffraaj - La Chiflota, by Hussonet) broke through at his second start in the Maiden 1400 metres at Te Aroha.

A young horse that had shown good attributes at both the trials and races, Ginger Too was purchased by David Ellis for $70,000 at the 2018 Karaka Book 2 Sale, from the draft of Monovale Farm, and owned by the Te Akau Little Jerry Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

13 November - A last start winner at Riccarton, international recruit Leaderboard (5 g Street Cry - Flower Fairy, by Dynaformer) made it consecutive victories on the course in the Rating 72 2000 metres.

Ridden again by Troy Harris for the Fortuna Leaderboard Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin), he scored in similar fashion to his win on 26 October with both horse and jockey executing things to a nicety.

14 November - Given an armchair ride in front by Te Akau apprentice Chelsea Burdan, Meteoric Lass (5 m Stratum - Benatar, by Distant Music) proved too good winning the Rating 72 1400 metres at Awapuni.

The win provided trainer Jamie
Richards with three wins on consecutive days, following Ginger Too (Iffraaj) at
Te Aroha, and Leaderboard (Street Cry) at Riccarton.

Purchased by David Ellis for $50,000 at the 2016 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Kitchwin Hills, Meteroic Lass is owned by the Fortuna Meteoric Lass Syndicate (Mgr: John Galvin). Only once further back than fourth, her consistency is reflected in three wins, two seconds, a third, and three fourths, from 10 starts. She is a sister to dual stakes winner Meteoroid (Northern Meteor), who won eight times over 1200m/1400m in Australia, from a mare that has left four winners of 16 races.

23 November - In A Twinkling (4 g Fastnet Rock - Moment in Time, by Archway), dealt a blow by the handicapper when ending his three-year-old season as a one-win horse with an 82 rating, courtesy of finishing runner-up in the NZ Derby (Gr. 1, 2400m) and fifth in both the Tulloch Stakes (Gr. 2, 2000m) at Rosehill, and ATC Derby (Gr. 1, 2400m) at Randwick, caught up by winning the Counties Cup (Gr. 3, 2100m) at Pukekohe.

Given a superb front running ride
by Opie Bosson, In A Twinkling scored dominantly by one and a quarter lengths.

Owned by the Te Akau Fastnet Moment Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis), purchased by David Ellis for $250,000, from the draft of Curraghmore Stud, at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, In A Twinkling recorded his third win and now won $383,651 in prize money.

24 November - Owned by the Te Akau Bombay Star Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Star of Bombay (3 f Atlante - Astardia, by Starcraft) was purchased by David Ellis for $50,000 at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, and broke through at just her second start in the Maiden 1200 metres at Te Rapa.

Backed into favouritism ($3.10
& $1.40) on the strength of a nose margin defeat, when claimed on the line
in a fast final 600 metres (34.7) over 1200 metres on 6 November at Avondale,
Star of Bombay positioned outside the leader, quickened to lead at the 200m
when rider Craig Grylls asked her to extend and came clear to win easing down
by four lengths.

Star of Bombay went on to impressively win three of her six starts this season, including the Mufhasa Fasttrack Stakes (Listed, 1300m) in February at Ellerslie, after finishing third in the Auckland Guineas (Gr. 2, 1600m), and ended her campaign with a fourth in the Wellington Guineas (Gr. 2, 1400m).

30 November - Rounding out the month, Bordeaux Le Rouge (2 g Burgundy - De La Vere, by O'Reilly), backed as nearly unbeatable ($1.30),  gained victory in the Maiden 2YO 1100 metres at Ellerslie.

Owned by the Te Akau Fine Red Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Bordeaux Le Rouge would later finish fourth to stable-mate Cool Aza Beel (Savabeel) in the $1m Karaka Million 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) in January at Ellerslie.

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