Three Win Saturday - Rhetorical You Ripper

Te Akau trainer Mark Walker further embellished terrific stats when Rhetorical (2 f Snitzel - Xpression, by Showcasing) won the $15,000 Nobby Bussell Memorial Maiden 2YO 800 metres on Saturday at Riccarton.

With 19 Te Akau horses currently stabled at Riccarton, Walker has lined up 23 horses for 12 wins.

The juvenile filly had debuted without a trial in the Maiden 2YO 800 metres on 3 September at Wanganui, but was caught wide and collared late. Heading south with black type and better tracks in mind, Rhetorical was suited to better ground and it showed.

Despite being a field of only five, the outcome remained undecided for a greater part of the race and it was only over the concluding stage that Rhetorical drew out in polished fashion.

“She's improving all the time and it was a good win,” said Walker, from the course.

“She's a filly with nice scope about her, she should keep making good strides down here, and the further she's goes, the better she will get.”

Before racing, Rhetorical was reported to have gate speed, while being smart and professional, which has certainly been evidenced in her two starts to date and resulted in a short price ($1.50 & $1.20) on the NZ TAB tote.

On footing rated Soft6, Rhetorical ran 800 metres in 46.9 for Te Akau Champion Apprentice Joe Kamaruddin.

Providing she does everything right once through the run, Rhetorical may be suited to the $80,000 Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) on the middle day (9 November) of Cup Week at Riccarton.

Te Akau has previously won the Welcome Stakes seven times, most recently with Avonallo (Belardo) in 2020.

Owned by Te Akau Xpression Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Rhetorical was purchased as a yearling by David Ellis CNZM for $270,000 at the 2022 Karaka Book 1 Sale, from the draft of Haunui Farm.

By Champion Sire of Two-Year-Olds in Australia, Snitzel (Redoute's Choice), Rhetorical, who carries a Danzig bloodline cross though her sire-lines, is the first foal from quality race filly Xpression: two-year-old winner of the Wakefield Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m), Barneswood Farm Stakes (Gr. 3, 1400m), and she placed in 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Riccarton.

At the time of purchase Ellis said: “She was a standout filly in our opinion and a beautiful first foal by a multiple Champion Sire.

“A natural looking, speedy, two-year-old type, with plenty of quality, her mother exuded a lot of class as a dual stakes' winner who really tested our Champion filly Avantage (Fastnet Rock) in the Gold Trail Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m).

Also by Snitzel, Ellis purchased Champion Two-Year-Old Sword of State as a yearling and the colt that ran blistering times is now standing his first season at Cambridge Stud.

Currently in Singapore, inspecting Te Akau's Singapore stable where the team's horses are now trained by Donna Logan, and gearing up for the race meeting on Sunday, Ellis added: “That was the same race that Avantage won on debut in 2017, and while those are big shoes to fill, let's hope this filly goes just as well.

“I had dinner last night with Donna and Pete, and today we're having lunch with Ben Kwok, who owns fifty percent in this filly so we've really got something to celebrate.

“Donna is doing an absolutely outstanding job here for us. She's in front in the Trainers' Premiership, which means we're leading in both New Zealand and Singapore, which is very hard to achieve.

“Also, it was a lovely ride by Joe (Kamaruddin). He's riding really well and it's no wonder he's so high up (third equal) in the overall Jockeys' Premiership.”

Rhetorical was strapped by Hunter Durrant.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz