Perfect Puysegur Debut

Te Akau NZ trainer Jamie Richards and our team enjoyed another top day at the "Riccarton office" in Christchurch on Tuesday at the rescheduled meeting - winning two races, and having two second placings and a third placing from our starters ...

The first win was a terrific debut effort by beautifully bred filly Puysegur in the two year old race - the race in fact a Te Akau quinella ...

Puysegur (2 f Fastnet Rock - Pins ‘N' Needles, by Pins), a three-quarter sister to stable-mate and Champion Two-Year-Old Avantage (Fastnet Rock), recorded a debut victory in the $22,500 Nobby Russell Memorial 2YO 800 metres on Tuesday at Riccarton.

Avantage also won the corresponding race when debuting, on her way to a stellar juvenile season that included wins in the Karaka Million (Restricted Listed, 1200m), Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m), and second to stable-mate Sword of Osman (Savabeel) in the Sistema Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m).

While Avantage was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $210,000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, from the Oaks Stud draft, Puysegur is in training for their breeders Willie & Karen Calder.

Despite racing without a trial, Puysegur started $1.80 tote favourite, over stable-mate Challa (Dissident) at $3.40, and the pair finished first and second. It was a brave effort by Puysegur, who sat three wide on the pace for rider Jason Laking and claimed Challa, ridden by Lisa Allpress, on the line.

“It was a great thrill to quinella the race,” Ellis said. “It will qualify the winner for the Karaka Million, which is tremendous for her owners, and a big help towards Challa qualifying too. He's a colt I bought from Trelawney Stud for $100,000 at the Karaka Book 1 Sale in January and it was a great first up run by him too.

“Opie (Bosson) told me a month ago: “I've found one. This Fastnet Rock filly has got gears and she's a good filly”, and when he says that you just know that you've got a good horse on your hands. Jason (Laking) rode her well and the way she balanced up and came home in the last 50 metres, over 800 metres, is quite exciting as she steps up in distance.

“The horses stabled down at Riccarton have been beautifully handled by Paul Richards. He's doing a fantastic job for us and we couldn't be happier. Mason Stevens, a really good young horseman, is down there helping him, and the team is going very well.

“To train two-year-olds you've got to really know what you're doing, because they're not easy to train. The Te Akau policy is to let them tell us when they're ready to race and we had twelve individual two-year-old winners last season. We haven't pushed any of them, they've been put under no pressure whatsoever, but they have been well educated, and we've got a lot of really nice two-year-olds still to come out.

“Our two-year-olds have started well, our older horses are going well, three-year-old Avantage has won fresh-up in the Gold Trail, so the stable is going great guns at all levels.”

The dam of Puysegur, Pins ‘N' Needles (Pins), was a Group Three winner of six races to a mile. She has left three individual winners of 10 races, including stakes' winning, Group One placed, Asavant (Zabeel), the dam of Avantage and Group One winner DB Pin (Darci Brahma) in Hong Kong. Pins ‘N' Needles is a sister to 2015 Canterbury Breeders Stakes (Gr. 3, 1400m) winner Miss Alice and a half-sister to the stakes' winner Coup Fields (Carolingian).

Although without a trial, trainer Jamie Richards had been pleased with Puysegur prior to racing.

“It's hard to know, obviously no trial form, but we like her at home and Opie (Bosson) likes her, which always gives you a bit of confidence when he starts talking. It was a very good win by a progressive filly and she will improve a lot for it. I was really pleased for Jason Laking who has wasted hard to make the weight. Jason is a very good horseman and he's been riding a lot of work for us and it's why we gave him the choice of the horses today.

“I'm really excited for Willie and Karen Calder, who gave us the filly to train, and I'm pleased for the team in the South Island who've been working really hard.”

Willie and his wife, Karen, were recent nominees for Breeder of the Year, through the deeds of Avantage and D B Pin.

Willie Calder said: “I put my hand up to buy Avantage back (at Karaka), but the auctioneer said “sorry” the hammer went down first and she was knocked down to David (Ellis). She was a lovely yearling. I bought Puysegur back this year and it's great that Te Akau is training her for me. She's very much like Avantage, but a slightly bigger version and hopefully she can be half as good. Having a horse in the stable, I can pop in and see how Avantage is going as well. Dave & Karyn keep me informed, so I feel like one of the owners. It's great.”

Puysegur was strapped by Mason Stevens.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz