A capacity field at Ellerslie on Saturday stands between On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau) and a slice of Karaka Million history.
A brilliant winner of the $1m DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) on the same day last year, On The Bubbles returns this weekend to try for a repeat result in the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m).
Only one other horse has ever completed the big double – New Zealand’s reigning Horse of the Year Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel), also trained by Jamie Richards, whose Karaka Million triumphs came in 2019 and 2020.
On The Bubbles, who also won last season’s Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), missed the spring due to an entrapped epiglottis. He resumed with a second placing at Te Rapa in December, then returned to his brilliant best with a last-start win in the Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m) on Boxing Day.
Bought by David Ellis for $90,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2020, On The Bubbles is the dominant $1.70 favourite for Saturday’s Karaka Million 3YO Classic. But there is plenty of talent among the 17 horses lining up alongside him.
Tutukaka (NZ) (Tavistock) is a half-brother to champion mare Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) and was bought by Pike Racing for $250,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2020. He has won twice in his nine-start career to date, both at stakes level in Australia, and earned more than $276,000 in stakes.
Tutukaka’s first win was a four-length romp in the Listed Tatts Stakes (1830) at Eagle Farm in June, followed by the Listed Geelong Classic (2200m) in Victoria in October. A sixth placegetter in the Group One Victoria Derby (2500m), he resumed with an eighth in the Group Two Auckland Guineas (1600m) on New Year’s Day.
Turn The Ace (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) was a Listed winner as a two-year-old, while Whiskey (NZ) (Burgundy), Drum Major (NZ) (Epaulette) and Achieve (NZ) (Pierro) have been stakes-placed this season.
Te Toki (NZ) (Tarzino) was a strong-finishing fourth in the Auckland Guineas last start, and the exciting filly Miss Ella (NZ) (Iffraaj) steps up to the big time after a nine-length maiden win in her last start. Sophisticardo (NZ) (Burgundy) finished fourth in last year’s Karaka Million 2YO.
The Karaka Million 3YO Classic is the sixth and final event on Ellerslie’s action-packed New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Million twilight card, with a start time of 7.48pm.
