Winner: G2 Glory Origin of Love

Justifying favouritism in no uncertain terms, Origin Of Love (3 f Snitzel – Re Edit, by Camelot) won the $250,000 Group 2 Taylor Property Plus Wellington Guineas (1600m) on Saturday at Trentham.

Remaining competitive against the best three-year-olds in New Zealand, during a season that began for her in September, Origin Of Love brought good course form finishing second in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and fourth in the Group 2 Lowland Stakes (2100m), She won the Group 3 War Decree Stakes (1600m), finished second in the Group 2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m), and most recently was a close third in the Windsor Park Trophy (3YO, 1500m) on Champions Day (7 March) at Ellerslie. 

The form has remained exemplary and she richly deserved victory in such a prestigious race, to register her third win from 10 starts, including two seconds and thirds. 

Ridden by New Zealander's leading rider Craig Grylls, who was also aboard in the Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes, Origin Of Love was made to work hard from barrier nine to lead, but settled nicely once in front, and simply proved good when flattening out in the straight to race away for an impressive win.

“She jumped really well and I was happy to let her roll forward,” Grylls said. “I was able to get a really nice breather around the bend, she balanced up, found, I tried to nurse her, and she found again and I didn’t have to encourage her.

“It was a really good run last time and she’s built on that, and put them away today. She showed a wicked turn of foot, got down low in her action and extended nicely. 

“Big thanks to Mark (Walker) and Sam (Bergerson) and the Te Akau team, and it’s great to win another feature race for them.”

On Soft5 footing, Origin Of Love ran 1600 metres in 1:34.8, last 600m in 34.7 (approx.), won by one and a quarter-lengths, and paid $2.30 & $1.50 on the NZ TAB tote. 

“It was a terrific win by the filly and she’s another example of a horse that thrived when going down early in the season to our stable in the South Island (Riccarton) for a Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas' preparation,” Walker said, after he and Bergerson collected their 14th stakes' win for the season and 99th in total for the season.

“Our southern assistant trainer Hunter Durrant and the team had her going really well down there and once we brought her back to the stable at Matamata, she’s built on that form.

“She’s had a long season, but Sam and Reece (Trumper) have done really well to keep her at her peak and she’s just kept racing tirelessly against the best.

“She’s got a beautiful pedigree. Dave (Ellis) bought her as a yearling on the Gold Coast and she’s adding to her residual valuable by winning these black type races.

“We’ll give her a break now and can look forward to her achieving more as a four and five-year-old.”

On course, Bergerson added: “Gryllsy summed it up really well, after looking like he was going to get trapped wide, but she got across quite nicely and he was able to slacken the tempo.

“He turned it on at the right time, so it was a really good, positive, ride, and fair play to the horse because she’s had a massive season. 

“She’s continued to thrive and kept getting better with racing, so I can’t thank the team enough, down south, and at home.”

Owned by the Te Akau 2024 Magic Fillies Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), Origin Of Love was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for A$440,000 at the 2024 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, from the draft of Arrowfield Stud. 

“It’s always special to win stakes' races at Trentham, because it’s such a great course, with a long history of racing and horse sales, and I went there for the first time to the races in 1971 when I was in Flock House at Bulls, learning all about farming,” Ellis said.

“Te Akau has enjoyed some of our greatest moments in racing at Trentham, and it’s also where Colin Jillings introduced me to my wife Karyn (Fenton-Ellis), so it’s extra special.

“It’s been a great season for Origin Of Love to have raced so well, including Group Two and Group Three wins, and it’s so rewarding for her owners, our loyal clients of Te Akau for a long time, and that’s really what makes it extra special.

“She’s been up a long time, but it just shows what a great job that Mark, Sam, Reece, and Hunter with our team have done to keep her happy and performing at her best.”

Ellis added that Origin Of Love has a yearling half-sister by Maurice (Screen Hero), Lot 41, being offered by Arrowfield Stud at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale (29-30 March) in Sydney. 

“Origin Of Love is becoming a very valuable filly, now, with amazing depth in her bloodlines and these Group wins just add to it,” Ellis said.

“I think she’ll be even better in the next two seasons and we can look forward to giving her a rest and getting her ready to race again as a four-year-old.”

Origin Of Love is the first foal from Re Edit, a three-time winner to 1600 metres, by the Champion Three-Year-Old Colt in Europe and Great Britian, Camelot (Montjeu). 

Among the dam line sires, High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells), Champion Sire and Sire of Sires, is backed up by tough New Zealand stallions Star Way and In The Purple.

Her third dam, Argante (Star Way), left Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) winner Monaco Consul, a dual Group One winner and head of the 3YO Free Handicaps (1600m+) in New Zealand. 

Origin Of Love provided Te Akau with its fourth win in the Wellington Guineas, having scored most recently in 2023 with Cognito (So You Think). 

Origin Of Love was strapped by Rhiannon Smith. 

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz