Yourdeel - Te Akau's 7th Champion 2YO

Yourdeel  (Dundeel - Miss Zapper, by Red Ransom) made a clean sweep of the Group One juvenile classics last season, winning both the Sistema Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) and Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m), to earn the title of Champion Two-Year-Old.  

Te Akau provided three of the four finalists - Aotea Lad, Probabeel and Yourdeel - in the two-year-old section.

Te Akau's past Champion 2YOs were all selected and purchased by David Ellis, namely Maroofity, Darci Brahma, Warhorse, War Affair, Melody Belle and Avantage.

Owned by Chris Rutten, John Norwood and Rod Preston, Yourdeel won four of his six starts plus $380,000 in prize money, to complete a hat-trick for Te Akau, following Melody Belle and Avantage, and their seventh Champion Two-Year-Old title in recent times.

“There was a lot of excitement and fun that goes with the thrill of racing,” Rutten said. “It's a challenge to get these young horses going, but the thrills we get, it makes it harder each year to go and find another (potential) top horse.”

“I was thrilled for Chris Rutten and the owners of Yourdeel,” Ellis said. “Rod Preston, I was on the board of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing with him. He's past chairman of the Wellington Racing Club, a man that comes from a family rich in the tradition of racing, and the same with John Norwood.”

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