Winning Waikato Double - Zeitaku Zippy

Continuing a terrific long-weekend of wins, Zeitaku  (3 c Savabeel - Miss Opulence, by O'Reilly) was successful in $15,000 NZB Ready to Run Trainers Series Maiden 1400 metres on Monday at Te Rapa.

Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards recorded six wins on Saturday - three apiece at Matamata and Riccarton - including Group 3 winners Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) and Noverre, while rider Danielle Johnson, who partnered Imperatriz and also Thompson Handicap (Gr. 3, 1600m) winner Cheaperthandivorce (Savabeel) on Sunday at Trentham, was recording her seventh win in three days.

Purchased by David Ellis CNZM last November at Karaka Ready to Run Sale, from draft of Riversley Park, and owned by Te Akau 2020 RTR Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis), Zeitaku had been building nicely towards winning.

After sprinting home to impressively win a trial on 6 September at Cambridge (poly-track), Zeitaku returned for his debut on 22 September and ran the fastest last 600m (32.1) when coming from last to finish third in the Maiden 970 metres. He made good ground for fourth in the Maiden 3YO 1300 metres on 6 October at Taupo and, with addition of blinkers plus better footing, rated a top three chance.

Given a lovely ride by Johnson, Zeitaku settled eighth before sighting daylight on straightening and quickened into his work to win well.

On footing that despite showers held at Dead5, Zeitaku ran 1400 metres in 1:24.7 and after jostling for favouritism with eighth placed Camarosa (Iffraaj) returned $3.70 & $1.60 on NZ TAB tote.

“First time with blinkers on and it was a good strong win,” Richards said. “I thought he lacked a little bit of concentration at Taupo, and has taken a couple of starts to get there, but I feel as though he's working it out now.

“Sometimes these Ready to Run horses are not as early as what you think, they can require a bit of time, and the team at the Colt Barn has done a great job with him.

“He's got a very nice pedigree, and he's a good sort of horse that is on an upward spiral and Danielle (Johnson) gave him a lovely ride. He's a horse that needs to get into a rhythm and breathe, and he can really finish off.

“The 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) will come around too quickly for him, but he looks like he'll run a mile out okay, and providing he keeps progressing we could work backwards from the Levin Classic (Gr. 1, 1600m) in January at Trentham, and find a few nice races for him around Christmas.”

Zeitaku is by six-time Champion Sire Savabeel (Zabeel). He is from the family of Champion Middle Distance Horse Sir Slick (Volksraad), the winner of 22 races including four Group ones, and dual Group 1 winning Champion Three-Year-Old, now stallion, Puccini (Encosta de Lago) who won the NZ Derby (Gr. 1, 2400m) and Thorndon Mile (Gr. 1, 1600m).

“I've been spending a lot of time working on the upcoming Ready to Run Sale (17 & 18 Nov.) and I bought this colt last year at Karaka, from Joe and Max Smithies at Monovale Farm,” Ellis said.

“It was great to see him win like that. He finds the line, which is important, and I'm thrilled for the owners that they've got a nice colt that has won early in his career.

“He beat some older horses with good form and that's not always easy to do as a three-year-old.

“We love buying from Monovale, where Joe and Max run a great business. They always have horses in work with us, and he was consigned by Sam Beatson (Riversley Park) and they don't come better than him. I'm really looking to inspecting their draft this week, ahead of the Ready to Run sale.

“Zeitaku is stabled at the Colt Barn, run by Reece Trumper and Sarah West, two of the very best young horse people you can get and we're delighted to have them in the Te Akau team.

“Danielle (Johnson) gave Zeitaku a beautiful ride and that was her fourth win for Te Akau this weekend. She's had a great few days and jumped up to lead the Jockeys' Premiership that she won so convincingly last season.

“She's been riding a lot of work for us and overall the weekend has been terrific for our owners - and rewarding fo all our team who are working so hard to achieve these sorts of results.

“Also, it was great to see our stable rider Opie (Bosson) back riding today. He finished third in the first two races, both ten out of ten rides and we can't wait to give him his next winner for Te Akau.

“It was also a really good weekend for Savabeel and Waikato Stud. He sired Noverre, our Group 3 winner on Saturday at Riccarton, and he recorded another stakes' winner yesterday at Trentham. He's an incredible stallion that we've had so much success with and he's showing up as a really good broodmare sire too.”

Zeitaku was strapped by Sarah West.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz