Six straight wins for super Te Akau team
Matamata trainer Jamie Richards won six straight races at Ellerslie yesterday as Te Akau Stables dazzled the Boxing Day crowd.
Palamos set the ball rolling in race three and the stable reeled off five more in succession with Entriviere, Vamos Bebe, Brando, Mai Tai and Amarelinha before closing with a third from In A Twinkling in the Group 1 $200,000 Zabeel Classic, won brilliantly by Concert Hall. They also ran second with Star Of Bombay in race one to open an amazing day on the 10-race feature card.
‘‘To have six winners on one of the biggest days on the New Zealand calendar is a real testament to our all of our staff at home, and it’s a really exciting day for all of us,’’ Richards said.
Versatile mare Concert Hall ($5.60) bagged the G1 victory she richly deserved when she stormed home out wide to snatch victory in the Zabeel Classic (2000m).
Prepared for owner and breeder Joan Egan by Roger James and Robert Wellwood at Matamata, Concert Hall had looked a G1 winner in waiting throughout her career having won four individual stakes races before her success.
Her winning chances appeared to have been thwarted when rider Vinnie Colgan found himself last of the 11 runners with just 600m to run.
Colgan sent the Savabeel mare to the extreme outside as she set off after pacemaker In A Twinkling.
Concert Hall ranged up at the 100m and with fellow 6-year-old mare Supera, they dived at In A Twinkling, with Concert Hall getting in the decisive stride to beat Supera by a neck, with In A Twinkling a further head back in third.
Co- trainer James cut a relieved figure as he had been supremely confident leading into the race.
‘‘It might sound cocky as I know you don’t win them [ G1s] out of turn, but the 2000m and the better track was always going to play right into her hands.
‘‘Quite honestly though, at the 100m mark I didn’t think she could win it.
‘‘It was a good effort off a slow tempo and to come from that far off them when they quickened up front, she is a good mare.’’
Concert Hall has now won nine of her 23 starts and $425,000 plus.
The day also proved highly successful for Waikato Stud’s champion stallion Savabeel who is the sire of Concert Hall, Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m) winner Brando and Eight Carat Classic (1600m) winner Amarelinha.
Meanwhile, Vamos Bebe took the step up to stakes company with relative ease for trainer Richards when she strode clear in the final stages of the $60,000 Hallmark Stud Sprint (1200m). Rider Danielle Johnson (four wins on the day) had her charge well positioned in the trail before pushing into the clear rounding the home turn. Asked for a serious effort at the 200m, Vamos Bebe strode past pacemaker Madam Hass before holding out a late run from Vigor Winner, who had tracked her throughout.
‘‘She’s a promising mare who we thought was the best of our 3-year-olds last year, but she had a few immaturity issues and just needed some time.
‘‘She’s a very valuable commodity now with the black type to her name and the breeding she has on her side,’’ said Richards.
The Matamata conditioner indicated Vamos Bebe, who has now won three of her six career starts, would return to Ellerslie for her next run, which is likely to be in the Concorde Handicap (1200m) on January 23.
Johnson had guided home the Richards-trained Entriviere in race four and was at it again in another of the undercard features when she was successful aboard the Llanhennock Trust-bred and owned Mai Tai in the $80K Stella Artois Championship Final (1500m).
Remarkably, Richards also took out the $100K Eight Carat Classic (1600m) with 3- year- old filly Amarelinha, ridden by Opie Bosson (four wins), one race later to make it six winners, just a month after he produced five winners on New Zealand Cup day at Riccarton.
Amarelinha was as impressive as any of those predecessors, displaying a scintillating
turn of foot in the home straight to eat up a six-length deficit within a handful of strides as she eased to a length- anda-quarter advantage over gallant runner-up Fleetwood Maca.
‘‘ She’s a very exciting filly with an amazing turn of foot,’’ Bosson said.
‘‘I was excited from about the 600-metre mark – she was travelling so well and I just couldn’t wait to let her go. She switched off a bit late in the race, having a look at the crowd and pricking her ears.
‘‘I’m so excited. I haven’t ridden one like this for a while.’’
The TAB now has Amarelinha up to $6 favouritism for the New Zealand Oaks ( 2400m), at Trentham on March 20.