The Karaka Millions twilight meeting is always a key focus for Te Akau Racing, and they are set to have another strong hand in this year’s edition.
The country’s leading stable has had a stranglehold on the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) in recent years, winning eight of the last nine editions of the race, and they will be represented in this year’s running by a trio of juveniles.
Unbeaten Group Two winner Kinnaird will lead the stable’s charge, with trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson also upbeat about the chances of stakes performer Out Of The Blue and Zaharias.
“I am really excited to have three nice chances in a race we find very special,” Bergerson said.
“Kinnaird is leading the charge. It is hard to fault his form and he continues to go the right way, he has done really well since Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
“He has got a nice gate (2) with Opie (Bosson, jockey) on, who knows him really well. He ticks a lot of boxes, but it is a two-year-old race and a lot can happen.
“The other two have performed really well. Out Of The Blue was a bit stiff at Wellington but he has travelled back well and the more you throw at him the more he thrives.
“Zaharias didn’t have a lot of luck on the 11th (of January when third at Ellerslie) he was trapped wide and got a bit keen, so the blinkers come off. His work with Kinnaird on Tuesday here (Matamata) on the course proper was really good.
“It is a very competitive field and it’s hard to split all the different form lines, but I am very excited.”
The stable will also have a strong representation in the $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), with Group One winner La Dorada and Group Two performer He Who Dares taking on a strong line-up, including the well-fancied Well Written.
“Well Written is the benchmark and a deserved short-priced favourite, but it was fantastic to see La Dorada bounce back to form at Wellington (when winning the Gr.2 Levin Classic, 1400m) and she is another one that has gone the right way. She has travelled home and hasn’t missed a beat.
“He Who Dares showed he is up to the mark in the Auckland Guineas (Gr.2, 1400m) and pushed Well Written close. The mile at Ellerslie looks ideal and he is another that ticks a lot of boxes.
“They have both got nice gates and a good positive racing style.”
There will be plenty on the line for the pair, who present as two logical candidates for the $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) in March, with Te Akau Racing being a slot holder.
“We think they are both really nice NZB Kiwi horses. La Dorada is a Karaka Millions winner at Ellerslie and the 1500m looks ideal for her,” Bergerson said.
“The same with He Who Dares, he has gone two real cracker races there at Ellerslie and had a bit of a blip in the Sistema (Gr.1, 1200m) but still ran really well. 1500m looks ideal and he just continues to get better and better.
“If they were to get slots, I am very confident they would be competitive. Hopefully they can both put their best foot forward on Saturday.”
One stable runner who has already been assured of a start in the NZB Kiwi is Group One performer Belle Cheval, who will be one of five runners for Te Akau in the Gr.2 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m).
“She is a really exciting filly. She has only had three starts and she has run third in a (NZ) 1000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m),” Bergerson said. “We think that she is very classy and she is only going to continue to improve.
“I am stoked for David (Archer), Diane (Wright) and the team there and very privileged to be training a filly like her for them.
“Saturday we think is short of her best, but we think she has the talent and class to be very competitive.”
She will be met on Saturday by stablemates King’s English, In Haste, To Bravery Born and Drops Of God.
“King’s English continues to get better and better and his win was really good at Ellerslie on Sunday and he has gone the right way,” Bergerson said.
“In Haste had a good freshen-up and trialled well in a Group and Listed trial. She just peaked on her run but has taken good improvement.
“To Bravery Born had a quiet trial. The fresher the better seems to be his formula and he has drawn a nice gate (1).
“It is hard to fault Drops Of God’s form line. She is still quite raw and does a little bit wrong and gets a bit keen, but it should be a high-pressure race and if she is to have luck from that barrier (13), we think she is more than capable.”
Bergerson is also excited about the prospects of Coolmore’s Espionage in the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m), having finished third in his New Zealand debut over 1200m at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
“He has been very straight forward. He hasn’t missed a beat since coming over from Australia,” Bergerson said.
“His run on New Year’s Day was good and if he had drawn a gate that day he would have gone very close to winning.
“We took him up to Ellerslie in between times for a gallop last Thursday and his work has been good. He has a nice gate (6), which gives us options.
“It is a competitive field and he has got to take that step back up to Group One quality here in New Zealand. He goes in in really good order and certainly deserves his chance.”
While Ellerslie will be the focal point on Saturday, Te Akau will also be chasing stakes glory at New Plymouth and Riccarton.
In Taranaki, the stable will be represented by Stella Ma Bella and She Suits Herself in the Listed Grangewilliam Stud Oaks Prelude (1800m), and last-start Taupo Cup (2000m) winner What You Wish For in the Gr.3 Denis Wheeler Earthmoving Taranaki Cup (1800m).
“The two fillies at New Plymouth, it is just dependent on the weather with them,” Bergerson said. “She Suits Herself is still a maidener but showed at Te Aroha she can cope with rain-affected going.
“Stella Ma Bella just didn’t pull up 100 percent following the Ellerslie disappointment but has bounced back really well, her work has been good leading in. We gave her a trial in-between times just to check everything is okay and she trialled nicely. There is a little bit of a query on track conditions with her, but this is her chance at black-type.
“What You Wish For is another one that is a query around the weather, but he bounced back really well into form in the Taupo Cup. 1800m at set weights and penalties really suits. He is a very talented galloper on his day and is more than capable.”
The stable’s Riccarton barn is also keen to get in on the stakes racing action, with Trobriand tackling the Listed Speight’s Timaru Stakes (1200m) at the Christchurch track.
“It is rain-affected going down there as well but he produced a really good performance during Cup Week on rain-affected going,” Bergerson said. “It was a bit of a headscratcher last time at Trentham (when eighth over 1200m). The visor blinkers go on, he sneaks in with 53kg and he looks a live chance.”
Te Akau head into the weekend in winning form, having recorded a double on their home track of Matamata on Friday courtesy of Born To Be Royal and Cease And Desist, with both three-year-olds in line for Classic targets.
“It is always nice to have a couple of winners on your home track,” Bergerson said.
“We thought Born To Be Royal would have broken maidens before today. She is a very talented filly that has been running in some really good races and it’s good to see her finally break maidens. Hopefully she can get a bit of confidence from that and we can continue to build towards the New Zealand Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) in the middle of February.
“I think Cease And Desist is a nice progressive type. His racing manners let him down a bit early and he disappointed on debut as a colt and we gave him a big break and the team at home have done a really good job with him.
“He is slowly learning what it is all about. He was really good today. He still wanted to get a little bit on the bridle and at the top of the straight I thought he was no chance, but he really picked up and kept grinding away.
“He should take some good confidence from that and potentially he could end up in a Derby (Gr.1, 2400m) in early March if he continues to settle and continues to progress. We will take it one step at a time and see how he comes through this.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
