WINNER: Plenty of Passion & Pride

Te Akau apprentice Cooper Stumbles (a4) saluted aboard Passion ‘N’ Pride (4 m Darci Brahma – Sweet Hunter, by Swiss Ace) in the $18,500 Ultimate Mazda Maiden 1600 metres on 14 October at Tauranga. 

Indentured to Te Akau for a number of years, Stumbles is from Dunedin, where he became obsessed with racing from the age of nine.

Stumbles went racing with his parents, Grant and Maria, who own horses, and has former top jockey John Dowling as a grandfather. His great-uncle is White Robe Lodge principal and New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame inductee Brian Anderton ONZM.

He recently gained entry to the Elite Jockey Programme, which has greatly benefitted award winning Te Akau apprentice Hayley Hassman, and also rode his first winner Ripa Time (Time Test) on 4 September at Wingatui. 

Having had plenty to do with Passion ‘N’ Pride, it was a fitting first win the tangerine colours. She finished strongly to win a trial on 8 September at Rotorua, before a tough performance for second when resuming in the Maiden 1400 metres on 25 September at Te Rapa, each with Cooper aboard.

Although awkwardly drawn (8), Cooper ushered Passion ‘N’ Pride across to receive a good position in fourth, was on the move approaching the home turn, and saw off Compulsory (No Nay Never) in a close finish. 

“It’s pretty special to get a win for Te Akau, they’ve done so much for me and I owe a lot to them,” Stumbles said.

“I know her pretty well and ride her in track work, as well. I was a little bit confident coming into today, but didn’t want to get too confident. She was really good and I’m happy.”

On Soft5 footing, Passion ‘N’ Pride ran 1600 metres in 1:38.2, last 600m in 36.3 (approx.), and paid $3.60 & $1.50 on the TAB tote. 

“It was great to see Cooper get his first win in the tangerine,” said Mark Walker, training partner with Sam Bergerson.

“He’s been with the stable for quite a while, and has continued to get stronger in his riding, especially over the last six months. 

“The owners have been patient with her. She’s been a slower maturing filly, but stronger now as a four-year-old mare. She’d had a couple of close seconds before winning, and broke through in a manner that suggests she can be competitive up in grades.”

On course, Bergerson said: “We’re really proud of Cooper and it was a fantastic ride. He got her out from a sticky gate, into the one-one, presented at the right time and she really dug in.

“He came to us as a pretty young fella, but he’s extremely dedicated and he’s continued to develop. He’d had a winner down South, but to get one in the North now is really cool and he’ll have some very proud parents at home, too. 

“It’s awesome for him and hopefully he’ll get the confidence to go on with it. 

“He’d ridden the mare in two trial wins this time around, the first-up run, which was really good, and she’s a mare that just needed a bit of time to strengthen and mature. The team has done a great job with her.”

Owned by the Te Akau Huntress Racing Partnership (Mgr: Lady Karyn Ellis MNZM), Passion ‘N’ Pride was bought by Sir David Ellis for $80,000 at the 2024 Karaka Book 2 Sale, from the draft of The Oaks Stud, and broke through at her fifth start after being placed twice.

Her sire, Darci Brahma (Danehill), was purchased by Sir David for $1.1 million as a yearling at Karaka, he went on to become Champion 2YO, Champion 3YO and Champion Sprinter/Miler as a 4YO. Trained by Mark Walker for the stable, he won five Group One races, including the T. J. Smith Stakes (1600m) as a two-year-old at Eagle Farm, Brisbane, before proving himself a multiple Champion Sire.

A remarkable stallion, retired from serving duties in 2023 at The Oaks Stud, Darci Brahma sired Group One winners in New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, and Singapore, with over 2000 winners including over 100 stakes'  winners. 

Her dam Sweet Hunter, a dual winning mare over 1400 metres, is a half-sister to Champion Miler and Singapore Horse of the Year Infantry (Tavistock), each out of The Nightingale, by high-quality broodmare sire Stravinsky (Nureyev). 

The Nightingale was a prolific producing broodmare of multiple winners, with six individual winners of 31 races. 

It is also the family of terrific race mare Beat The Fade (Maroof), a Group Two winner and multiple Group placed, and impressive Group Three winner Dawn Till Dusk (Manntari), each out of third dam Dawn Run (Sir Tristram).

At the time of purchase, Sir David said: “She’s a really athletic moving filly with good muscle definition for a young filly by Darci Brahma. 

“She is very well proportioned and just a lovely filly by a sire that we’ve had so much success with.”

Passion ‘N’ Pride carries a cross of immortal sire Northern Dancer, on the sire line of Darci Brahma and dam lines of Sweet Hunter, and Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor), on the dam line of Darci Brahma and dam line of Sweet Hunter.

Passion ‘N’ Pride was strapped by Ajay Kumar.

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