The Shark Attacks Again

Te Akau Shark (3 g Rip Van Winkle - Bak da Chief, by Chief Bearhart) took another giant step at just his second appearance on race day when overcoming a wide trip to destroy his rivals in the $25,000 Fairview Motors Matamata 3YO 1400 metres on Saturday 14 October at Matamata.

Impressive when coming from last to win on debut over 1200 metres at Te Rapa, Te Akau Shark again settled back in the field (seventh of eight), but improved quickly approaching the home turn and after sweeping up to lead with a couple of big bounds at the 300m he went away to score by two and a half lengths.

Commentator George Simon said: “He had no luck, three wide the trip but has absolutely given them one. He can gallop.”

“Once he balanced up it was all over pretty easily,” said rider Opie Bosson. “It wasn't a pretty ride, but I was lucky I had a good horse underneath me and he got me out of it.

“He's got a lot of ability and he's still learning, so the best is yet to come for him.”

Purchased by David Ellis for $230,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock 2016 Ready to Run Sale, from the draft of Lyndhurst Farm, Te Akau Shark is from Waikato Cup (Gr. 2, 2400m) winner Bak da Chief yet already shows an enormous amount of precocity to win twice up to 1400 metres.

Connections will be hoping the good form continues in order to fulfil his nomination in the $500,000 Al Basti Equiworld 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) on 11 November at Riccarton, where he is now the current fixed odds favourite ($6.00) ahead of stable-mate Embellish (Savabeel) $8.00.

“It was similar to the way he did it at Te Rapa, and he is certainly a horse on the go,” said Stephen Autridge, who co-trains Te Akau Shark with Jamie Richards.

“He was caught three wide and had to go forward early, but he quickened up when Opie asked him to.

“We'll see how he comes through it, but he's certainly a horse with enough ability to be there (2000 Guineas). Both times he's won he's come from the back, gone around the whole lot, and made them look second rate so I don't where he's going to end up.”

A strong chestnut, Te Akau Shark appears to have colouring and markings in keeping with progeny by his dam-sire Chief Bearhart (Chief's Crown), a Canadian stallion that won 12 of his 26 starts. One of his best racing progeny was 2006 New Zealand Filly of the Year Shikoba, trained at Te Akau by Mark Walker.

“We've got a really good team of owners in the Te Akau Shark Syndicate,” Ellis said.

“It was a huge thrill for me because I've got the principal owner Steve Mace and his wife Kristy with me, over from Sydney. They have brought their two children, Cooper (7) and Harper (4), over to stay with us for the weekend and it was great to be on course and see the horse win so well.

“It's the first horse they have ever been involved in and Steve's invested in additional young horses with us, of which some have already been out trialling really well. And he's got a share in a lovely Camelot filly I bought in June on the Gold Coast.

“So, it's a proud moment for Te Akau Racing to have him and his friends from Sydney involved in such an exciting horse.

“I can see this horse going all the way. Opie told me afterwards that he's is the real deal and when Opie says that he's seldom wrong and you can start getting excited.”

Ellis said there was no certainty regarding a start in the 2000 Guineas, rather ‘we will let the horse tell us what he wants to do in the next ten days'.

“He's out of a mare that won the Waikato Gold Cup and he's going to stay,” he said.

Owner Jim Hepburn accepted the spoils on behalf of the syndicate:

“Thank you to the sponsors, who, without we wouldn't be racing and thanks to Steve and Jamie and the whole team that has looked after him so well. He looks pretty promising. And thanks also to the breeder Darrell Hollinshead, who is here with us.”

Hepburn presented a bottle of wine with a winning image on the label to Steve Mace.

“This is the first horse we've been involved in, the first of many hopefully,” Mace said.

“We met Dave about two or three years ago, poolside, in Hawaii, and I thought he was drowning so I helped him out of the pool and bought him a beer. He wasn't, but that's an embellishment of the story.

“We got together and spent a few nights on the farm and here we are today.”

Mace was a frequent visitor to New Zealand, when running OCS in Australia and New Zealand, and recently sold out to start his own business: Multi Services Solutions.

“We live in Cronulla,” Mace said. “Cronulla Sharks captain Paul Gallen also has a share and the whole point of getting involved was to travel and enjoy it, and we're all excited to see the horse.”

Te Akau Shark was strapped by Chelsea Burden.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz