Season of Success: La Dorada Golden Girl

Returning to the winner's circle in style, Champion Two-Year-Old La Dorada (3 f Super Seth – Gold Fever, by Savabeel) reminded everyone of her exceptional class when she captured the $400,000 Group 2 Levin Track Supporters Levin Classic (1400m) on 1 March at Trentham.

It was a welcome return to winning form for one of the stable's brightest stars. Twelve months earlier, La Dorada had stamped herself as New Zealand's outstanding juvenile after winning the Karaka Millions 2YO (Restricted Listed, 1200m) – the eighth success in the race for Te Akau – before producing a breathtaking performance in the Group 1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Trentham, racing away to score by three and a half lengths on her way to Champion Two-Year-Old honours.

While her Spring campaign in Australia didn't unfold as hoped, there was enormous satisfaction in seeing the talented filly return to her brilliant best.

Drawn barrier one, La Dorada began well before finding herself shuffled back along the rail. Champion jockey Craig Grylls remained patient, tracking eventual runner-up Swiss Prince (El Roca) into the race before easing into clear running inside the final furlong. Once balanced, La Dorada produced the acceleration that had become her trademark, sprinting clear to score by half a length.

On Soft5 footing, she covered the 1400 metres in 1:24.4, with a slick final 600 metres in 33.8 seconds, returning NZ TAB dividends of $8.70 and $2.90.

By comparison, when winning the Group 1 Sires' Produce Stakes on Good4 footing twelve months earlier, she recorded 1:22.6 for the 1400 metres and a final 600 metres of 34.7 seconds.

The victory provided Te Akau with a fifth Levin Classic success, following previous wins by Hall Of Fame (Savabeel) in 2017, Age Of Fire (Fastnet Rock) in 2018, Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) in 2022 and Quintessa (Shamus Award) in 2024.

Owned by the Te Akau Solid Gold Racing Partnership (Mgr: Lady Karyn Ellis MNZM), La Dorada was purchased by Sir David Ellis CNZM for $190,000 from the Waikato Stud draft at the 2024 Karaka Book 1 Sale.

The five-time winner has now earned more than $1.5 million in prize money.

"It was great to see her back in such good form and winning like that," Ellis said.

"It's a really big thrill, especially after the owners experienced such a wonderful season with her last year, and I was always fairly confident that she'd come right.

"There have been a few people that thought she might still be a bit below her best, but Mark (Walker), Sam (Bergerson) and Reece (Trumper) told me they were confident she could run that sort of race, and it's a credit to them and all the team that have worked with her."

La Dorada is from the second crop of former Waikato Stud stallion Super Seth (Dundeel), already the sire of four individual Group One winners, with La Dorada's four stakes' victories the most recorded by any of his progeny.

Super Seth announced himself as an outstanding racehorse when producing a stunning finish to defeat hot favourite Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m).

Te Akau also knew the family well. Ellis purchased La Dorada's dam, Gold Fever (Savabeel), for A$110,000 from the Sledmere Stud draft at the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where she too carried the Waikato Stud brand.

Gold Fever made a perfect start to her racing career with a dominant three-and-a-half-length victory before becoming a finalist for both Champion Two-Year-Old and Horse of the Year following her victory in the Group 2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m) and placing in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). In a brief but outstanding career, she won three of her six starts and finished third in the remaining three.

La Dorada became the first two-year-old in New Zealand to earn more than $1 million in prize money during her debut season and has now won five races from 11 starts, with earnings exceeding $1.5 million.

She is proving yet another outstanding yearling selection by Ellis, becoming the 10th of Te Akau's 12 Champion Two-Year-Old award winners to have either been purchased or bred by him.

Back in training at Matamata, La Dorada is scheduled to jump out and trial during July as preparations begin for another exciting campaign.

Te Akau's previous winners of the Group 2 Levin Classic (1400m):

2024 – Quintessa (Shamus Award) - as a G1

2022 – Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) - as a G1

2018 – Age Of Fire (Fastnet Rock) - as a G1

2017 – Hall Of Fame (Savabeel) - as a G1