Te Akau Racing continued their golden run in the Group II J Swap Contractors Ltd Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) on Saturday when recording their fifth consecutive victory in the race courtesy of unbeaten filly Lara Antipova.
The daughter of Russian Revolution was impressive when winning on debut at Te Aroha in November for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, and once again in the Group II Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham a month later, and was well-supported by punters in her fresh-up run on Saturday, backed into a $1.20 favourite.
From her outside draw, Lara Antipova had a fair bit of speed inside her, but jockey Opie Bosson let his charge balance up and soon sent her forward to capture the lead from the 900m mark.
Te Encuentro and Hawea loomed up alongside her rounding for home, but Bosson pushed the go button at the top of the straight and Lara Antipova quickly bounded away, improving her advantage with every stride, eventually running out a 3-1/4 length victor over Frankel filly Te Encuentro.
“She is a very special filly,” Bosson said. “She wasn’t 100 percent in the ground and she had a bit of a stumble turning in but that actually made her pick the bit up a bit more and she got up underneath me, she is pure class.
“She was a little bit fresh and a little bit keen early in the running, but with that run under her belt she is only going to improve.”
The Matamata Breeders’ Stakes has been a great springboard for previous stable winners, with Maven Belle, Captured By Love and La Dorada all going on to win at elite-level, and that’s the goal with Lara Antipova.
She will get that opportunity at her next start in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on Champions Day, which Te Akau won last year with Return To Conquer, who will join Waikato Stud’s stallion roster this coming breeding season.
“She is a very good filly,” Walker said. “The next port of call will be the Sistema and then all going well and she was still 100 percent, you would consider going over to Australia. We do think a lot of her.
“It is great for John and Jessica (Galvin) and the Fortuna team to have another nice one.”
Lara Antipova was purchased by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis, in conjunction with Fortuna Racing, for $100,000 out of Vinery Stud’s 2025 Magic Millions draft.
Bred by Eden Harrington and foaled and raised at Vinery, Lara Antipova is the best of four winners from five foals to race from Artistic Lass, a metro winning half-sister by Myboycharlie (IRE) to Group winners Sistine Angel and Sistine Demon.
Vinery Stud sold a three-quarter brother by In The Congo to Lara Antipova at Inglis Classic for $150,000 to Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing / Kestrel Thoroughbreds.
Artistic Lass produced a colt last spring by Stay Inside and was then covered by the Golden Slipper winner again.
