Triple Winning Treat at Riccarton

Te Akau was proud to send six horses to Riccarton today - resulting in three winners and three runners up - including a Listed winner and a Listed runner up ....

Presented in beautiful order and given a lovely ride, Wide Awake (4 g Savabeel - Kay's Awake, by Towkay) won the $25,000 Pryde's Easifeed Rating 72 1800 metres on Saturday at Ricccarton.

Stepped up in distance at his third run back from spell, Wide Awake had made good ground for fourth in a tight finish to the Rating 72 1600 metres on 9 October at Riccarton, having resumed on the course a fortnight earlier with a notable fourth in the Rating 72 1400 metres.

A winner of the Woodville Cup (2100m) in January, Wide Awake brought the right form to rate a genuine threat and got up in a terrific tussle over the last furlong.

Easy off the gate to settle sixth on a steady pace, he had the drop on his rivals when tracking into the straight and rounded off boldly once Shafiq presented him to the outside.

“We were very pleased with that win,” said trainer Jamie Richards. “He's a consistent sort of horse that hasn't had the rub of the green as late. But it was a nice ride by Shafiq. He's best ridden cold and enjoys getting to the outside with plenty of room.

“The team has done a great job getting him ready to win third up. Hopefully he can now go on with it and be competitive during the upcoming Cup Week at Riccarton. We'll look after him and try and place him right.

“It was also a great for owners Nita Herbst and JD, who were on course to see the win.”

Wide Awake paid $3.60 & $1.60 on the NZ TAB tote, as second favourite in a field of eight, running 1800 metres in 1:51.8 on Dead4 footing.

Purchased as a yearling by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $150,000 at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Sale, from the draft of Monovale Farm, Wide Awake has been patiently handled by Richards to register his fourth win for the Te Akau Wide Awake Syndicate.

“It was another brilliant ride by Suppy (Shafiq) and continues the excellent job that Paul Richards and Mason Stevens and their team are doing down at Riccarton,” Ellis said.

“I bought his two older brothers, Alert and Rise ‘N' Shine, both by Zabeel (Sir Tristram), out a really top mare. They had plenty of ability and this horse does too, and it's incredible the success the stable continues to have with Zabeel's son Savabeel.”

Alert was a brilliant trial winner before breaking through as an early three-year-old and going on to race in the NZ Derby, and Rise ‘N' Shine also showed ability early on at the trials before joining Mark Walker at Te Akau Singapore, where he recorded three wins from his first five starts and $142,000 in stakes earnings.

“Some really good friends of mine share in his ownership and I was thrilled for all his owners, as they've been very patient, and it's a big thrill for me to see horses from this family keep winning.

His dam, Kay's Awake, showed to be an impressive performer in her career of six wins and was regarded as one of the very best race mares over the past decade in New Zealand, placing twice behind both Darci Brahma (Danehill) and Seachange (Cape Cross).

“I remember Kay's Awake when she was racing against Darci Brahma. She finished third to him in a Telegraph, was a top-class mare, and it's great to see her continuing the good work as a broodmare,” Ellis said.

“Wide Awake was bred by Joe and Max Smithies at Monovale Farm. They are two young guys that are doing an outstanding job, following on from their father (Paul), and they deserve all the success they get.

“They always have a horse or two in our stable. They're a great family and they stayed in the ownership of a horse I bought off them for $36,000, Pinultimate (Pins), who won on debut last week at Tauranga.”

Wide Awake was strapped by Mason Stevens.