Winner: Drops of God Stakes' Victory

Bringing terrific form, Drops Of God (3 f Hello Youmzain – Distinctive Lass, by Orientate) capped a hat-trick of wins on the programme for Te Akau with a huge victory in the $100,000 Group 3 Windsor Park Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) on Saturday at Te Rapa. 

An impressive winner of her first two starts, Drops Of God did well from a wide draw (11) for third in the Group 3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) on Karaka Millions night (24 Jan.), won by subsequent Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) winning stable-mate Belle Cheval (Savabeel), and she looked good when having an exhibition gallop last Saturday at Ellerslie.

In what has always been a very competitive event, Drops Of God certainly had the ability to rate a top three chance, but saddled with the outside gate (14) provided some concerns. 

The doubts were soon overcome, though, when she displayed brilliant early speed to cross and lead, and after travelling comfortably at genuine pace she was somewhat audacious when extending away from a pretty smart field.

“She had to do it tough from the wide draw, but it was a terrific win,” said Mark Walker, training partner with Sam Bergerson.

“You don’t often see them win like that, after doing so much work early, and she’s a really exciting filly for the owners and everyone in the stable. 

“She’s got a very high cruising speed and Hello Youmzain is a stallion that we have a lot of time for. 

“It’s great for Greg Tomlinson at Nearco Stud, who breeds a very nice line of racehorses from a selects number of mares, and congratulations to Raptor Thoroughbreds for their involvement in her too.

“Also, it’s great to see the Te Rapa track racing so fair, you can come from anywhere today, and it’s a tribute to Bart Cowan and his track team.”

Winning easily by two and a half lengths, the impressiveness of the victory was reflected in the overall time of 1:09.7, last 600m in 34.2, while she was confidently backed into favouritism and paid $3.90 & $1.90 on the NZ TAB tote. 

Drops Of God had produced a strong indicator of her chances a week earlier during an exhibition with stable-mate and race rival King’s English (Snitzel) at Ellerslie, when crossing the line under a hold by jockey Craig Grylls while clocking 33.8 for the final 600m of the 1000-metre workout.

Aboard again on race day, Grylls said: “She drew a wide gate, but she’d been absolutely flying in her work and Sam (Bergerson) said to be positive with her from the barrier.

“She began like a rocket and got to the front pretty easily. I felt I was able to get a little bit of breather around the home bend and once she balanced up in the straight, I hardly had to go for her and she did the rest. 

“We were pretty confident coming into this, based on her work, and all credit to Mark (Walker) and Sam, they’ve got a top filly on their hands. 

“I’m very thankful that Te Akau gives me a lot of rides on these good horses and I get a lot of wins for them.”

In the colours of Nearco Stud, Drops Of God was bred by Greg Tomlinson (Nearco Stud) and is owned by him with Raptors Thoroughbreds. She is from an illustrious family including Te Akau bought and trained half-sister and Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas (1600m) winner Kahma Lass (Darci Brahma).

On course, following the win, assistant trainer Reece Trumper said: “She’s an exciting filly on the way up. She was faultless in her first preparation, freshened up well, and we targeted this race.

“She had two pieces of work, one at Te Aroha, so thank you to Te Aroha for opening their track for us, and then again last Saturday at Ellerslie.

“Big thanks to the Nearco team and Raptors, Gordon Cunningham (Curraghmore Stud) does all the raising of their horses and does such a good job for them, and Patrick Cunningham who manages the horses, and we’re very thankful to get a well-bred filly like this in the stable. 

“She led up in her first two victories, things didn’t go right in the Almanzor Trophy, but she was brave running third, and today we thought we’d be positive from the draw. 

“We thought if Craig (Grylls) could get a few soft sectionals with her then she’d be far too good for them, and she was.”

A Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion, sire Hello Youmzain (Kodiac) carried their yellow & black chequered colours to victory in the prestigious Group 1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot.

An extremely well-bred colt on the Danehill (Danzig) sire line, out of a Shamardal (Giant’s Causeway) mare, Hello Youmzain won two Group One sprint races on his way to becoming a leading European sprinter.

Retired to stud in 2021, Hello Youmzain has produced 118 individual winners including 11 stakes’ winners. 

The family is very well known to Te Akau, through the deeds of Kahma Lass (Darci Brahma), Wairau Cove (Darci Brahma), and Distinctive Darci (Darci Brahma).

David Ellis CNZM first purchased Distinctive Darci, a smart four-length trial winner on debut at Te Aroha, who then transferred to Mark Walker in Singapore, winning 11 races, including a Group Two, and over NZ$1 million in prize money. 

He then bought Kahma Lass, a Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas (1600m) winner and subsequent stakes winner at Caulfield, for owners Cambridge Stud, while Te Akau also trained three-time winner and Group 3 placed Wairau Cove, who finished an unlucky second in the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). 

Dam Distinctive Lass has also left Kuro (Denman), winner of five stakes' races in a total of eight wins, and Southern Lad (Ocean Park) also won seven in Australia, while, overall, Distinctive Lass has produced 10 individual winners of 39 races. 

In addition, Ellis purchased five-time Group 1 winner and Champion Sire Darci Brahma (Danehill) as a yearling at Karaka, and the mating with Distinctive Lass has worked extraordinarily well. 

Fourth dam, Special (Habituate), won 10 races including three Group One, all at Flemington: Newmarket Handicap (1200m), Lightning Stakes (1000m) and the Gadsden Stakes (1200m). At stud, Special produced 14 foals, 10 raced and nine were winners.

A total of 13 stakes' winners and eight stakes'-placed performers descend from Sal II (Sallust), the dam of Special.

Now 21-years-old, Distinctive Lass had a beautiful colt by Super Seth (Dundeel) sell for $300,000 in January at the Karaka 2026 Book 1 Sale, and the mare is back in foal to Super Seth. 

Accepting on behalf of the owners, Patrick Cunningham said: “Thank you to WTR and Windsor Park Stud, who put so much into the New Zealand racing and breeding industry, and also have a massive input as sponsors.

“To Mark, Sam, David, and Karyn, Te Akau is doing a wonderful job and this filly, with such a magnificent pedigree, is certainly going to have a lot of residual value when she finishes racing.”

Drops Of God was strapped by Tayla Melvin. 

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