Victory for Vickezzlastcall

Recording her second victory on the course, Vickezzlastcall (4 m Wrote – Vickezzchardonnay, by Don Eduardo) was a sound winner in the $18,500 Rating 65 2100 metres on 1 October at Tauranga.

Vickezzlastcall recorded a second start victory in the Maiden 2YO & 3YO 1400 metres in July at Tauranga and, recently freshened by trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson, she ran on nicely through the line when trialling on 23 September at Te Rapa, with Te Akau apprentice Cooper Stumbles aboard. 

Having his first ride on the grey mare, Champion Jockey from last season Craig Grylls was content to sit outside the leader, took over rounding the home turn, and Vickezzlastcall never flinched in holding a one and a quarter length margin at the line. 

“It was a gun ride by Craig (Grylls),” said Te Akau racing manager Mikey Gray, on course. “We don’t need to give him too many instructions and he’s worked out the pattern. 

“We’ve been scratching our heads a little bit with the horse, after she won well here on the course a few months ago, but with a good jockey aboard and back on a track that she likes, that always helps.”

In the race sponsored by Team Wealleans, supportive owners with Te Akau and also sponsor of the $80,000 Listed Matamata Cup on Saturday at Matamata, Vickezzlastcall ran 2100 metres in 2:15.0, last 600m in 37.4 (approx.), on footing upgrade to Soft7, and had drifted in betting to pay $8.50 & $2.70 on the NZ TAB fixed odds. 

The win provided the second on the card for owner/breeder Tony Rider (Milan Park) - while earlier in the week, Milan Park was also the generous sponsor of the 2025 Northern Apprentice Awards, where Te Akau apprentice Hayley Hassman (19) won the Toby Autridge Trophy for Most Promising First Year Apprentice. 

“It was a really good, tough, effort on that holding type of ground, today,” Walker said. “She’s been quite a slow maturing mare, but Tony (Rider) and the Milan Park team have given her the time that she’s needed.

“It was a positive ride from Craig (Grylls), keeping her right up to the mark throughout the race, and she responded really well.

“Obviously, she has an affinity with the track at Tauranga, so we’d have no hesitation in lining her up again on the course if we can find a suitable race.

“I think with maturity that she’ll keep improving and next preparation it will interesting to see if she can go to another level.”

Vickezzlastcall is a half-sister to Te Akau trained triple stakes' winner Aromatic (Sacred Falls), and from a family that handles yielding ground.

Like Aromatic, Vickezzlastcall is also a grey and shares physical attributes, including a nice deep girth. 

A Group Two winner of the Travis Stakes (2000m), while adding the Group 3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2000m) and Group 3 Counties Cup (2100m), Aromatic registered six wins and placed 14 times from 32 starts, with $419,300 in prize money, before selling as a broodmare earlier this year on Gavelhouse for $257,500. 

In addition to her three stakes' wins during the 2023/24 sesason, Aromatic included seconds in the Group 3 Metric Mile (1550m), Listed Staphanos Classic (1950m), Group 3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m), and she was third in the Group 3 Waikato Cup (2400m). She was the quintessential race mare in many respects, good-looking, kind, while understanding her role as a tough and talented racehorse.

The dam of the pair, Vickezzchardonnay, by the highest priced yearling to ever sell at Karaka – Don Eduardo ($3.6 million) (Zabeel) – was an impressive five-time winner from 1600m to 2100m, and she left four winners of 11 races. 

Fifth in the 2008 Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and second in the Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) during her three-year-old season, Vickezzchardonnay went on to win the Group 3 Taranaki Cup (2000m), finish third in the Group 2 NZ Cup (3200m), and fourth in the Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m), Group 2 Wellington Cup (2400m), Group 2 Travis Stakes (2000m), and Group 3 Rotorua Cup (2200m), to show what a genuine mare she was.

Vickezzchardonnay is a half-sister to impressive winning race mare Fifty Fifty (Justice Prevails), who left seven winners of 15 races including stakes' performer Balham (Don Eduardo). 

Vickezzlastcall was strapped by Rhiannon Smith. 

Photo credit - Kenton Wright - www.raceimages.co.nz