WINNER: With A Vengeance Too Tough

Too slick and too good, With A Vengeance (3 g Exceed And Excel – Eleusa, by Medaglia d’Oro) resuming with a polished display in the $75,000 Rating 65 1100 metres on Saturday at Ellerslie.

Professional as you like when winning an early season two-year-old race, in his first of two starts last season, With A Vengeance strode away for a tidy win after leading when trialling on 25 August at Waipa, and rated a top three chance first-up from barrier five.

Ridden again by Champion Jockey Craig Grylls, who was aboard for both the debut and recent trial wins, With A Vengeance began smartly to lead, was joined in front, but kicked to a two-length advantage inside the 300m and remained unwavering to score comfortably.

“It was a good effort, fresh-up today,” Grylls said. “He’s trialled nicely coming into this, bounced well, put himself there, got it reasonably easy in front, but I liked that he was able to change legs when we straightened up and extended before I went for him, so it reasonably soft in the end.

“He’s going to improve a lot and he’s a nice horse going forward.”

In the race sponsored by Kingmakers Syndication Welcomes New Owners, With A Vengeance ran 1100 metres in 1:05.1, last 600m in 34.9, and paid $5.10 & $2.00 on the NZ TAB tote. 

“It was a really good fresh-up win, especially at Ellerslie, where he’d won a two-year-old trial,” said Mark Walker, training partner with Sam Bergerson.

“He showed really good early promise, but became a bit coltish, so we gelded him and he’s come back stronger now as a three-year-old. 

“Being a son of Exceed and Excel, he was always going to get better with more time and it’s always difficult for an early three-year-old to beat the older horses, but he’s done it with some authority and he shapes to progress nicely.”

On course, assistant trainer Reece Trumper said: “He’s a horse that we’ve held in high regard, but he was just a little bit immature in the his two-year-old campaign. 

“We gave him a good break at Te Akau Stud, where he really thrived and there’s no reason he can’t go on with it now.

“We knew today that if he jumped out of the barriers well and put himself in the race, we’d know at the top of the straight how well he was travelling. He looked to be travelling really well, snuck a break on them and pulled out too many guns. 

“It was a big effort as a three-year-old to beat the older horses, too, and that’s not an easy feat at this time of the year. 

“We love having Gryllsy (Craig Grylls) in the saddle on Te Akau horses. He does a lot of hard work for us, as do all the team at home. 

“The team in the Colt Barn and the Main Stable have done a really good job with this horse. He hasn’t been easy to deal with, but hopefully the world’s his oyster now.” 

With a view to his nomination for the 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) in November at Riccarton, Trumper added: “He’s still rough in the coat and has a lot of improvement to come”, while Grylls said: “He’s got a nice low stride about him and he relaxed well, so he’ll obviously have to go further but I don’t think it will be a problem.”

Owned by Te Akau Vengeance Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), With A Vengeance was purchased by David Ellis CNZM for $240,000, from the draft of Widden Stud, at the 2025 Gold Coast Yearling Sale.  

Champion Sire Exceed and Excel (Danehill) retired from stud duties in 2024, as one of the greatest stallions to ever stand in Australia.

A revered international shuttle stallion for Darley, Exceed and Excel is one of only eight stallions to sire in excess of 200 stakes winners. 

A sire of sires and a leading broodmare sire, Exceed and Excel has always been regarded as a highly reliable source of speed.

Dam Eleusa is also by highly respected international sire Medaglia d’Oro (El Prado), the sire of Golden Slipper (Gr. 1, 1200m) winner and subsequent sire Vancouver. 

“He spelled really well at Te Akau and Mark, Sam, and Reece, and all the team have done a great job preparing him at Matamata,” Ellis said.

“He was pretty fit to resume after two trials, appreciated the footing, and I thought it was a really good win.

“He’s got plenty of depth in his pedigree to keep training on as a three, four, and five-year-old.”

With A Vengeance was strapped by Kohen Collett.

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