Te Akau TV - Weekend Preview
7 February, 2025
Dive into a weekend of Trans-Tasman Te Akau thrills!
This week, we're at Te Akau Stud catching up with NZ co-trainer Sam Bergerson as we gear up for an action-packed weekend in Australia and New Zealand!
As always, it’s all go for Team Te Akau at this time of year! Our yearlings from the sales have settled in beautifully, embracing farm life and taking everything in their stride. Soon these young horses will take their first steps in their early education, and we love this stage, as we develop their potential - it’s so rewarding to follow them all the way to the winning post. Shares are flying out the door and as you will see on our Yearlings & Shares page on our website, there is a fantastic variety at attractive price points, and yearlings by proven and exciting, up and coming young sires, so the demand is high as we hunt for our next Karaka Millions' winner and we hope Magic Million's winner too! View our Yearlings & Share here: https://www.teakauracing.com/yearlings-shares
On the track over the past week, we’ve witnessed some impressive performances. Talisker, the reigning South Island Champion Three-Year-Old, returned to winning form in the $50,000 Platinum Homes Open Handicap over 1400 metres at New Plymouth. His recent form has been outstanding, building on a strong run of results that saw him finish second in the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas and then third in the Group 3 Phar Lap Trophy at Trentham behind his stablemate My Lips Are Sealed. His comeback performance last weekend is a reminder of his class and resilience.
Equally exciting is the form of our unbeaten colt, Return To Conquer, who showcased his quality in the inaugural Group 3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic at Ellerslie. Building on his debut victory in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes at Pukekohe and a smooth transition at the Matamata trials, Return To Conquer’s performance is a true testament to the hard work of our training team, led by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. He’s now preparing for the $150,000 Group 3 Fairview Matamata Slipper on 15 February at Matamata, and all going well, he then targets the $550,000 Group 1 Sistema Stakes on Champion’s Day at Ellerslie on 8 March.
This weekend’s racing action is packed with excitement from start to finish. Today, racing kicks off at Tauranga, before we head Trans-Tasman with The Victress making her Australian debut at Moonee Valley tonight.
Tomorrow is one of the undoubted highlights of the racing calendar - Legends' Day at Te Rapa where Te Akau is represented by a team of five runners. We are privileged to again sponsor the Group 2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies' Classic, with two stable contenders - Top Shelf and Luvabeel.
Saturday's action continues further south at Wingatui where our stable statesman Perfect Scenario hunts further Otago black type in the Hazlett Stakes alongside Petrucci. Heading back across the Tasman, we will be racing at Yarra Valley while we are also delighted to see Mehzebeen, our New Zealand Cup winner, step out on Australian soil for the first time at Caulfield. Rounding off the weekend on Sunday, Legally Binding is scheduled to race at Otaki, while Prismatic makes his return at Bendigo.
Looking ahead, Captured By Love has made Melbourne her new home - we’re eagerly anticipating her race next weekend at Flemington, and It’s A Wild Night will also feature on the famed track.
It promises to be an action-packed weekend, and we’re set for an exciting few weeks to sign off the summer racing season!
Best of luck to all owners and connections this weekend - GO THE TANGERINE!