Unsurpassed by Name, by Nature

Te Akau New Zealand trainer Jason Bridgman chalked up his second two-year-old winner from three starters on Sunday afternoon when Unsurpassed (Exceed and Excel - Alamantra by Elusive Quality)
won easily on debut at Egmont in the Taranaki Turf Club 2YO Maiden event for the Te Akau Unsurpassed Syndicate, managed by David Ellis.

The money poured onto Unsurpassed who was a dominant $1.40 favourite with the New Zealand TAB.  The precocious colt showed nice gate speed to jump away a length in front, finding himself on the lead in the running where he was put in a comfortable rhythm by stable jockey Matthew Cameron.

When challenged on the turn, he remained relaxed and kicked away in the straight under minimal urging to keep his perfect record intact by two lengths, eased down on the line.

After the race Jason commented:

“This colt has been a natural two year old from day one with a
touch of quality about him. We are not surprised with today's effort, having held him in high regard since his first preparation. We look forward to him progressing on to bigger tasks this season and
next.”

Undefeated in three public appearances in his career thus far, Unsurpassed looks another diamond plucked from the mine by New Zealand's leading domestic thoroughbred buyer, David Ellis. Bred by Bob Emery of Cambridge from his daughter of Elusive Quality and champion staying mare Champagne in Alamantra, the colt (known as James after his breaker) was purchased out of the 2014 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

David reflects: “At the 2014 Karaka sale I bought 43 yearlings. When they came home to Te Akau Stud at the completion of the sale, I inspected them again and I thought I had bought the best lot of
yearlings we've ever seen at the farm. Even so, I saw three year olds that would not do much at two years of age - they were real guineas, derby and oaks types that would train on to win cups as four year olds.

“I saw that we needed a precocious two-year-old type colt for the group one races, so I decided to go to Sydney and Unsurpassed was the result of that trip. I'm very pleased with how he won today
and the good thing about him is, he has the scope to be an even better three year old.”

Bred on the same cross as multiple Australian Group One winner Guelph, his pedigree also suggests that he will perform well beyond his juvenile season.  Not having gone through the Karaka Sale, Unsurpassed is ineligible for the Karaka Million and will bypass the pre-sale feature at the end of the month.

Picture credit - www.raceimages.co.nz