Te Akau's "Season That Was" concludes ...

Date: 7 Aug 2019

Te Akau's





The final Group/Listed title of Te Akau's 2018/19 season tally of 18 came with our outstanding Group 1 winning juvenile Yourdeel. He made a clean sweep of both Group 1 trophies available to the youngsters in the season - adding the Group 1 Manawatu Sires' Produce scalp to his Group 1 Sistema and Group 3 Matamata Slipper victories ...









Not one, but two Group One wins for Yourdeel(2 g Dundeel - Miss Zapper, by Red Ransom) after he stormed to victory in the $225,000 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) on 30 March at Awapuni - providing Te Akau with their fifth win in the race.





After bagging the Sistema Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) three weeks earlier at Ellerslie, Yourdeel made it a clean sweep of the Group One juvenile classics and now won four of his six starts and $380,000 in prize money. 





Having won the last two renditions of the Sires' with Champion Two-Year-Olds Avantage (Fastnet Rock) and Melody Belle (Commands), respectively, and beforehand with Kindacross (Cape Cross) andMaroofity (Maroof), Yourdeel was a hot commodity in betting ($1.70) to complete a hat-trick, but at no stage, other than the line, did it appear a formality.





Steadied for cover by rider Opie Bosson on a genuine pace, well back (eight lengths) at the 600m and still standing them five lengths a furlong out, commentator Tony Lee said: “Yourdeel and Aretha (second) are flashing, look at Yourdeel, wow, what a win.





“Boy, you've got to be good to do this, at this grade, as well. Here he is, wide out, he's class Opie Bosson, Yourdeel really starting to lift, gee he only gave him a couple behind the saddle would you believe, a great Sires'”, Lee said.





“He (Yourdeel) wobbled around the last corner a bit,” Bosson said. “Even across the top I was thinking ‘Jamie is going to kill me', but I'm lucky he's a champion trainer and he's got this horse back on track after an ordinary gallop on Tuesday. All credit goes to him and the horse.” 





On Good3 footing, Yourdeel covered the 1400 metres in a very respectable time of 1:22.9.





Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards said: “He's really stood up and raised the bar this season. He's quite an incredible horse and a great effort by the team at home to get him here in such good order. And that man on top (Opie Bosson), he's such an important part of our team.” 





“He's taken a fair bit of making, was very colty in the spring and a big thanks to Chris Rutten and the owners (John Norwood, and Rod Preston), they're getting such a big thrill out of it.”





“That was Jamie's 20thGroup One win and our 18thblack type winner this season,” said Te Akau principal David Ellis. “It's an unbelievable achievement by a very smart young man, that's disciplined, very committed, determined, and with the help of terrific staff that was his third Sires' Produce in a row.





“Our first Sires' Produce winner (Maroofity, in 2003) was ridden by the great Lance O'Sullivan, in his last Group One win and it took Opie (Bosson) to beat his total (62) earlier this month. 





“Yourdeel winning the race is a classic example of the team all working together and Opie identified this horse in the spring as a really smart horse, which shows the importance of having him riding track work.





“It's such and honour to have this horse in work for Chris Rutten, John Norwood, and Rod Preston, and we're so thrilled to be training him for them.”





Yourdeel was strapped by Kate Belsham.





“She loves him and looks after him every day,” Richards said. “Kate moved up from Wanganui to give us a hand 12 months ago and it's really good to have these young kids coming through the stable. Hopefully, we can keep them interested and keep them in the industry because it's so important to have people like her coming through.”









Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz


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