Newhaven Park based Cool Aza Beel has already made his mark as a sire with Group I winning colt Cool Archie and has now put a Group winning filly on the board with Cool Aza Rene stamping her credentials for the upcoming Group I New Zealand 1000 Guineas.
Talented filly Cool Aza Rene turned her spring around on Saturday and delivered a ninth win for Te Akau Racing in the Group III Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton.
The powerhouse stable had previously won the South Island’s most important Guineas lead-up with King’s Chapel (2003), Sea Saint (2005), Princess Coup (2006), King’s Rose (2010), Abidewithme (2012), Costa Viva (2013), Cornflower Blue (2020) and Star Of Justice (2023).
Cool Aza Rene was one of three runners in this year’s race for Te Akau trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson but was the least fancied of the trio at $9.70.
After slick wins in four of her five starts as a two-year-old last season, the daughter of former Te Akau star Cool Aza Beel had hinted at some distance limitations in her first two races as a three-year-old.
She was run down late by stablemate Belle Du Monde in a 1000m three-year-old race on August 30, then finished only eighth in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) on September 13.
Cool Aza Rene turned that theory on its head when she stepped up to 1400m on Saturday and delivered a sparkling performance. Ridden by high-flying Brazilian jockey Bruno Queiroz, Cool Aza Rene enjoyed a perfect run in third with the front-runners El Vaquero and Miss Starlight squarely in her sights.
There was no room to the inside of that pair or in between them at the top of the straight, so Queiroz had to change ground and switch across heels to their outside. Once Cool Aza Rene found clear air, she pinned her ears back and accelerated.
She dashed past the front-running pair and took a clear lead, and she kept going strongly to the line to hold out the fast-finishing Alottago and Miss Ziggy by three-quarters of a length.
The other two Te Akau runners, Belle Du Monde and Origin Of Love, finished fourth and fifth respectively.
“We thought our three fillies were hard to split in this race,” Bergerson said. “Cool Aza Rene might have been a query at the 1400m, but she’s so tough and so game. She has a good, positive racing style and knows where the winning post is, and that’s always a good attribute to have.
“It was a great ride by Bruno. He had to change ground in the straight, but then she was so strong to the line. It was a fantastic effort.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to have had a bit of luck in this race. Three-year-old black-type races like this aren’t easy to win, so we cherish them all.
“With this win under her belt, hopefully it’s onwards and upwards from here for Cool Aza Rene.”
David Ellis bought Cool Aza Rene for $55,000 from the Newhaven Park draft in Book 2 of the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and the filly has now had eight starts for five wins, a second placing and $171,100 in stakes.
Bred by Newhaven Park, Cool Aza Rene is the first foal of Irene, an unraced half-sister by Xtravagant to Group III placed Mintha with her third dam being dual Group I winner Hasna, the Champion Australian 2YO of 2003.
Irene has another yearling colt to follow by Cool Aza Beel, who stands at a fee of $16,500.
