Wow What a Winning Weekend

It has been another one of those "Te Akau winning weekends" that we all enjoy so much.

Kicking off proceedings on Friday night, Te Akau Singapore trainer Mark Walker maintained his lead on the Trainers' Premiership with Big Banker bringing his season's tally to 29, a lead of two.

Te Akau New Zealand lined up two runners on Saturday with Abidewithme providing the run of the race in the Group 1 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes when rushing home from last on the turn to finish a close up second, a simply massive run.  Meantime on Saturday, further down the North Island, Chambord was very unlucky not to land back in the winners' circle after a long injury lay-off, being just headed in the final 100m at Awapuni, and like the mare, having to settle for second.

Sunday however was a different story with two Te Akau winners coming out of the Counties' meeting at Pukekohe - Zambezi Warrior and Flirty Gertey - both purchased by David Ellis from Kataka - our wonderful Warrior first ....

Unlucky not to gain a Derby spot Zambezi Warrior (3 g Pentire - Zambezi, by Zabeel) was to the fore against his own age group in the 3YO 2100 metres on April 10 Pukekohe.

Patiently ridden by Matt Cameron, Zambezi Warrior was sixth of seven runners at the 1000m and presented widest on straightening, for the long run in, he quickened to an advantage at the 200m and drew clear to win impressively.

On newly grassed turf at Pukekohe, after the track being out of action for the past two years, Zambezi Warrior ran the 2100 metres in 2:09.6, last 600m in 35.6, and paid $2.60 & $1.80.

Zambezi Warrior was purchased by David Ellis for $75,000 at the 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Goodwood Stud and is raced by the Te Akau 2014 Cups' Syndicate.

He was checked out of contention in a lead up race to the $750,000 BMW NZ Derby (Gr. 1, 2400m), when attempting to boost his stake money, after being balloted out of the Avondale Guineas (Gr. 2, 2100m), and the impressive maiden winner was without favours last start in the $20,000 Rating 65 1600 metres on firm ground at Te Rapa.

Co-trainer Jamie Richards said: “As I said to the owners: ‘if he could bring his lead up Derby form here, he was a very good chance'.  He let us down a little bit last time but we changed a couple of thing around with him - popped him over a few tyres - and he's come back well."

Whether or not the Autridge & Richards combination becomes more ambitious and tackles the $100,000 Valachi Downs Championship Stakes (Gr. 2, 2100m) on April 23 at Ellerslie, a race won last year by subsequent Hong Kong Derby winner Werther (Tavistock), remains to be seen but the future looks bright regardless.

“We'll let him get home, give him a couple of days and he'll tell us what he wants to do,” said Richards.

Jockey Matt Cameron summed the race up very well. “He's the kind of horse you can't rush, a real staying horse. They quickened from the seven (700m) and I had to get into him but he let down really nicely."

Of the rich brown individual, David Ellis had said previously: “He was an outstanding first foal from a highly talented mare that was trained by Te Akau. Zambezi was a genuine cups' mare before injury curtailed her career and this horse looks like a great staying type.

His grand-dam, Tall Poppy (Kaapstad), was as good a racehorse as you are likely to see. A beautiful black mare with a fantastic turn of foot and determination to match, Tall Poppy won eleven races from 1400 metres to 2000m and culminated her career by winning the NZ Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m) at Ellerslie. At the highest level, she also won the Thorndon Mile (Gr. 1, 1600m), Waikato Sprint (Gr. 1, 1400m), two Group Two races and two Listed.

Zambezi Warrior was strapped by Gary Ritchie.

Photo credit - www.nzraceimages.co.nz

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