Te Akau's South Island Success Recognised

Te Akau Racing is hugely proud to have nine finalists in the South Island Racing Awards to be held on Friday 13 September at Riccarton Racecourse.

This follows the announcement of nine finalists for Te Akau in the NZ Horse of the Year Awards to be held on Sunday 8 September at Mystery Creek Events Centre in Hamilton.

Te Akau has two of the three nominees for South Island Champion Two-Year-Old: Discretion Rules and Nucleozor.

After playing second fiddle to stable-mate Nucleozor in all three starts, Discretion Rules deservedly won the Listed Champagne Stakes over 1200m and in doing so became the final stakes winner of the season for Te Akau.  He also became his sire, Alabama Success, first ever stakes' winner being part of his first crop to race.

Discretion Rules was purchased as a yearling by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM for $165,000 at the 2023 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Highline Thoroughbreds, and is owned by Te Akau Non-Stop Express Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

Te Akau homebred Nucleozor (2 g Almanzor – Nucleonic, by Burgundy) displayed as much potential as any two-year-old last season in New Zealand, becoming the ninth Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) winner for the stable while remaining unbeaten in three starts. 

Bred and owned by David Ellis CNZM and David and Matthew Peacocke of Weston Lea Bloodstock, such was the talent of Nucleozor that he was subsequently sold to race in Hong Kong.

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Te Akau has three of the five nominees for South Island Champion Three-Year-Old: Star Of Justice, Talisker and Viva Vienna.

A stakes' winner early in the season for Te Akau, Star Of Justice (3 f Justify – Fair Isle, by Fastnet Rock) stylishly won the Group 3 Barneswood Farm Stakes over 1400m in October at Ashburton.

Owned by the Te Akau Fair & Just Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Star Of Justice was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $190,000 at the Karaka 2022 Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Pencarrow Stud.

Talisker (3 g Embellish – Glenkinchie, by Redoute’s Choice) recorded a hat-trick of wins to commence his campaign last season in the South Island, following with a terrific effort for second in the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas during Cup Week at Riccarton.

Owned by the Te Akau Classic Edition Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Talisker was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $70,000 at the Karaka 2022 Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Landsdowne Park, and was among the first offerings of Te Akau trained 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) winner Embellish (Savabeel), whom Ellis also bought as a yearling at Karaka.

A stakes' winner early in the season for Te Akau, Viva Vienna (3 f All Too Hard – Anna of Austria, by Snitzel) became the fifth New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (Listed, 1200m) winner for Te Akau in September at Riccarton.

Purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM for $100,000 at the 2022 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Wesbury Stud, and owned by the Te Akau Empress Of Austria Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Viva Vienna took her record to four wins from seven starts. 

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South Island Champion Miler: Perfect Scenario

An older favourite in the Te Akau stables, Perfect Scenario (6 g Iffraaj – Rosetti Bay, by Pins) had another terrific season. 

A year earlier, Perfect Scenario was a huge winner when coming from last to win the White Robe Lodge Weight For Age (Gr. 3, 1600m) and he repeated the achievement with aplomb to defend the title. 

A tremendous type of horse to own, Perfect Scenario has provided many thrills throughout his career.

Perfect Scenario was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $165,000 at 2019 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Woburn Farm, for owners in the Te Akau Perfection Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), and his nine wins have accumulated $366,000 in prize money. 

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South Island Poly Track: Sorcha and Treaty Of Paris

Sorcha (4 m Burgundy – Niamh Elizabeth, by Per Incanto) commenced the season with back-to-back wins on the poly track at Riccarton, and scored again on the course when winning the Rating 84 1400 metres in June. 

Bred by Glenn and Cathie Holmes and Te Akau Stud, and owned by them in conjunction with Paul Martin, Sorcha has continued the trend of good horses stemming from the family.

The last winner of the season for premiership winning trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, Treaty Of Paris (4 g Tavistock – Echezeaux, by Encosta de Lago) has developed a strong affinity for the synthetic tracks, accounting for four of his five wins.

Treaty Of Paris was purchased as a yearling by David Ellis CNZM at the 2021 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Pencarrow Stud, and is owned by Te Akau Treaty Of Paris Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM). 

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Champion Trainer: Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson

The pair is not only assured the 15th premiership title for the stable, but also recorded the most wins (63) by any trainer this season in the South Island. 

Forming a new partnership last season, they recorded the second highest total (169) number of wins in New Zealand, after Walker set a new domestic record last season with 203 victories.

Establishing a permanent training base at Riccarton, in addition to Matamata, Singapore, and Cranbourne (Melbourne), helped in no small way to the overall total, while the trainers were ably assisted by foreman Hunter Durrant and and senior team member Kendyll Lee who oversaw the operation in Christchurch.

The South Island stakes' wins were recorded by Fashion Shoot (Savabeel) in the Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (Gr. 3, 1400m), Perfect Scenario (Pins) defended his title in the White Robe Lodge Weight-For-Age (Gr. 3, 1600m), Star Of Justice (Justify) won the Barneswood Farm Stakes (Gr. 3, 1400m), Viva Vienna (All Too Hard) in the Canterbury Belle Stakes (Listed, 1200m), Kai (Ocean Park) won the Hazlett Stakes (Listed, 1200m), and two-year-olds Discretion Rules (Alabama Express) won the Champagne Stakes (Listed, 1200m) while Nucleozor (Almanzor) provided Te Akau their ninth Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m).

The 63 wins included 28 at Riccarton, 16 on the poly track at Riccarton, seven at Ashburton, and six at both Timaru and Wingatui, and came at a terrific strike rate of 4.4.

Te Akau has a tremendous record of training horses in the South Island, highlighted by seven victories in the 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) and six in the 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) - a record unparalleled by any other stable.