The Australian Reports ....

Tony Arrold of The Australian writes:

It will be most deserving should Dame Fortune smile on David Ellis's racing fortunes at the forthcoming autumn carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne.

And the key factor to that happening rests with a three-year-old colt named Xtravagant.

Ellis is the founder of Te Akau Racing, a thoroughbred syndication venture which has run a vibrant feel through the New Zealand breeding industry for more than 30 years.

Indeed, the orange and blue colours of Te Akau Racing have been a familiar part of NZ racing since Cosmetique landed the 1986 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie.

Ellis has virtually dominated the buyers' list from the NZ Premier sale session from the turn of the century. He has spent more in recent years than the $NZ4,775,000 ($4.51m) invested in 17 yearlings at last month's Premier. But, with rich incentives on offer, he was lured for the first time as a buyer to the Magic Millions sale on Queensland's Gold Coast three weeks earlier where he bought nine yearlings which took $1.3m out of his 2016 budget.

Ellis had a massive year in 2014 when he outlaid $NZ6.420m on 35 yearlings, outdistancing the second biggest buyer the Hong Kong Jockey Club which spent $NZ2.285m.

At $NZ375,000 and the 34th of Ellis's 35 buys, Xtravagant is already the standout performer from the 2014 squad and he is on track to becoming the best in Te Akau Racing's three decades of history.

Ellis will agree if Xtravagant is successful in taking out the Group I Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 5 and then making a noise in Sydney's multi-million dollar features such as the Group I Australian Derby (2400m) and/or Group I Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

Arguably the best to compete in the Te Akau Racing's colours is Darci Brahma (main picture), for which Ellis bid a sale topping $NZ1.1m for at the 2004 NZ Premier.

From the final southern hemisphere foal crop of dual hemisphere champion Danehill, Darci Brahma won 10 and was second five times and earned just over $NZ100,000 his sale ring price in 19 starts on the track. But Darci Brahma's quality to win five Group Is, linked to his high pedigree, gave him a stud value of a $NZ10m syndication.

Darci Brahma's first Group I came as a late two-year-old in Brisbane where he won the TJ Smith (now JJ Atkins) Stakes at Eagle Farm.

He won his first three straight as a spring three-year-old, with the hat-trick completed in the Group I NZ 2000 Guiineas (1600m) — a classic Xtravagant was to win 10 years later.

Brought back in the autumn, Darci Brahma was beaten by Kristov, a gelding by the Danzig horse Slavic, in the Group I Waikato Sprint (1400m) but he took swift revenge on that gelding in the Group I Otaki-Maori (1600m).

Darci Brahma was next seen out at Flemington in the 2006 Australian Guineas where he was brave but could not run down Apache Cat who held the NZ raider by one length.

Darci Brahma's form slipped away in two Sydney starts that autumn and he was shipped back to New Zealand for a lengthy break. He reappeared in January 2007, outsprinting the high class mare Sea Change in the Group I Telegraph Handicap (1200m) before striking a fifth Group I triumph in the Waikato Sprint — a feature which turned out to be his racing finale.

Xtravagant made headlines in November when the son of Pentire romped home by 8½ lengths in the Group I NZ 2000 Guineas, clocking a race record of 1min 33.59sec at his fifth race start. His victory came four days after the Pentire gelding Prince Of Penzance won the Group I Melbourne Cup (32000m) at odds of 100-1.

But the true merit of his NZ 2000 guineas triumph came under question last month when Xtravagant ran a dull fourth in the Group I Bayer Classic (1600m).

Xtravagant just as quickly reversed that failure by reproducing his NZ 2000 Guineas form against older horses in the Group I Waikato Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. He was ruthless from the top of the home straight, drawing away to win by eight lengths in 1min 21.92sec which was exceptional on a track softened by rain.

To succeed for Ellis where Darci Brahma failed, Xtravagant will have to show his best at Flemington where he will be opposed by the star West Australian filly Perfect Reflection and classy locals like Victoria Derby winner Tarzino and the in-form Mahuta.

Also in the Australian Guineas reckoning is Risque, winner of the Group III Kevin Hayes Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday on her Australian debut for new owners.

The winner of three of her six starts in New Zealand, Risque had not raced since taking the Group I NZ 1000 Guineas (1600m) in November, or seven days after Xtravagant destroyed the NZ 2000 Guineas field.

Risque, incidentally, is a daughter of Darci Brahma. How ironic it would be, then, should Dame Fortune look away from Ellis' Xtravagant and smile on Risque at Flemington?