Te Akau can dominate Ellerslie and Karaka
Can Te Akau Racing make it a hat-trick of Karaka Millions? Probabeely.
Te Akau will have a fivestrong hand in the $1 million twoyear-old race for New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sales graduates, which the stable has won the past two years through Melody Belle and Avantage.
‘‘We’ve got some pretty exciting horses but we’ve drawn barriers 12, 13 and 14, so the three outside barriers which won’t help, that’s for sure,’’ Te Akau principal David Ellis said. ‘‘But we’re in it to win. It’s a race that looks to have a lot of speed so getting back might not be such a bad thing. It’s a race where I’ve seen so many unlucky horses over the years and I don’t think the barrier draw matters as much in this race as it sometimes does.
‘‘We’ve drawn one and two before and been stuck on the fence and had no luck. Opie went down and galloped all our runners last Saturday and he was really happy with them, so we’ve got our fingers crossed.’’
Savabeel filly Probabeel was the TAB’s closing futures market favourite at $2.60 but drifted significantly to $3.70 after she drew the outside barrier and arch-rival Whiskey Neat came up with barrier two to take over as a $2.70 favourite for Cambridge trainer Tony Pike.
‘‘I still think Probabeel is going to go a huge race, even with the wide gate, and Yourdeel has to be some chance. He’s been working enormous, all our horses have been.’’
Aotea Lad, second to Whiskey Neat in the Group III Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, is the TAB’s $7 third favourite, while Te Akau runners Louis Luck and Yourdeel share $12 fourth favouritism, with Te Akau’s final runner Challa a $91 outsider.
This is the second straight Karaka Million in which Te Akau will have five runners, with Avantage and Al Hasa filling the quinella positions last year. Melody Belle was the stable’s sole representative in 2017.
‘‘[Karaka Million success] is a huge help in getting people interested in being involved in the horses we buy at the sales,’’ Ellis said. ‘‘We’re pretty particular about what we buy. We don’t buy horses that are only going to make two-year-olds. All our twoyear-olds train on. We’ve had six champion two-year-olds and they’ve all gone on to be good three and four-year-olds.
‘‘Melody Belle is a classic example. She’ll probably have her best year as a five-year-old next season. Avantage is the current champion two-year-old and she’s won her only start at three and is coming up really well. We’re looking to take her to Australia.
‘‘It’s a good incentive now with these races though. A two-yearold can race for $1 million in the Karaka Million and a three-yearold can race for $1 million in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic.’’
Ellis was upbeat about the upcoming yearling sales which begin at 3pm tomorrow.
‘‘I don’t think it’s any secret that from August 1 our stakes money in New Zealand will dramatically improve, so now is a really good time to invest. I expect this sale to be a buyers’ market. The quality is as good as I’ve seen in 20 years. And don’t forget, we’re just a three-hour flight to Sydney and Melbourne and they are racing for $7, $10 and $15 million and we’re buying horses to win those races too.’’ Group One winner Volpe Veloce will return to the scene of her biggest victory when she contests the Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1200m) at Ellerslie tonight.
The five-year-old mare has won 10 races from 20 starts, including four at the Auckland track and, most significantly, the 2018 Gr.1 Railway (1200m).
The Graham Richardson and Gavin Parker-trained mare has pleased her connections since her fourth placing behind Santa Monica when defending her Railway title at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, and confidence in the camp is high heading into the Group Two assignment.
‘‘I think she is well placed, 1400m especially with 58kg on her back at set weights and penalties. She is only 3kg above the minimum,’’ Richardson said.
‘‘Her work has been good and she has a good alley (barrier two), too, so we are very happy with her. Michael Coleman galloped her on Tuesday and said she is pretty fit.
‘‘We just want to make sure she gets out of those gates, as she can be a bit tardy and you want to use that draw. If we are thereabouts, I would be very happy.’’
Richardson has fond memories of Karaka Million night, having tasted success in 2017, when Volpe Veloce took out the Listed Karaka 3YO Mile (1600m).
‘‘She won the Karaka 3YO mile a couple of years ago – it is as big of a thrill as you can get,’’ he said.
‘‘It is a big crowd, it is a prestigious evening, and it is the way of the future. I love going to those meetings.’’
If Volpe Veloce performs to expectations tonight, she will be set for another tilt at Group One glory in the BCD Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa next month.
‘‘All going well on Saturday night, she will back up on the 9th (of February) at Te Rapa in the Weight For Age 1400m. That has been my number one goal for the whole year,’’ Richardson said.
Meanwhile, Richardson has another chance of gaining a black-type victory today when he lines up Mahalo in the Gr.3 Preferment @ Brighthill Farm Concorde Handicap (1200m).
The six-year-old daughter of Darci Brahma was runner-up behind race rival Spring Heat over 1200m at Matamata last start, and her connections are hoping she can turn the tables today.
‘‘She is a mare a couple of friends and myself own,’’ Richardson said. ‘‘We bought her at the sales and she has won three, and should have been in the first three in the Newmarket last year.
‘‘She loves Ellerslie but she does have an ordinary draw (barrier 10), so I am not too sure where we are going to end up.’’
‘‘Her work has been good . . . We just want to make sure she gets out of those gates, as she can be a bit tardy.’’
Graham Richardson, trainer