A talented team of four runners at Flemington on Saturday will try to add to the momentum that Te Akau Racing has built up through the first 12 months of its Victorian base.
Te Akau’s Cranbourne stable opened in late September of last year, and by the end of the 2023-24 season, trainer Mark Walker had recorded 24 wins from just 124 runners on that side of the Tasman. Te Akau’s Australian stable banked a total of A$6.8 million in prizemoney during that season, with nine black-type victories including five at Group One level by New Zealand Horse of the Year Imperatriz.
The 2024-25 season has already started on a positive note for Te Akau’s Cranbourne operation, with classy mare Quintessa carrying 60kg to an impressive first-up victory in the Gr.3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 31.
The four-year-old will continue her build-up towards the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington in November when she lines up in Saturday’s Gr.2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at the same venue. Quintessa will again team up with jockey Daniel Stackhouse, who rode her for the first time in the Cockram last month.
“Her win in the Cockram was a very good first-up performance under a big weight,” Walker said. “I’m in Melbourne this week and I’ve been very impressed with how she’s looking. It’s just a two-week turnaround between races, so we haven’t had to do a lot and we’ve just kept her ticking over.
“I’m looking forward to seeing her step up over 1400m at Flemington on Saturday. I think the course and the distance should suit both suit her nicely.”
Switching to Flemington is also a major positive for Sans Doute, who will line up in Saturday’s Gr.2 HKJC World Pool Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m).
The daughter of Not a Single Doubt recorded four consecutive wins down Flemington’s straight course last season, starting in Benchmark 70 company and rising all the way to a black-type win in the Listed Bob Hoysted Handicap (1000m).
Sans Doute resumed in the Listed Norman Carlyon Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on August 24 and flashed home late for third behind a subsequent Group One winner.
“That was a very good run and she was probably a bit unlucky not to finish even closer,” Walker said. “She was just a little bit slowly away.
“But that form has been franked since then with the winner (Mornington Glory) going on to win the Moir Stakes (Gr.1, 1000m) last Saturday.
“We know Sans Doute likes that straight course at Flemington. Going up to 1200m is a slight question mark, but I think she’s relaxing much better now.”
Sans Doute will be ridden by Michael Dee, who has guided her to a win and three placings from four previous rides.
The Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes (1100m) features Fortuna filly Bellatrix Star, whose promising two-year-old season in New Zealand produced a win in the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m), a second in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) and a fourth in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m).
Bellatrix Star made her three-year-old debut in the Gr.3 Quezette Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on August 17, where she made up late ground for fifth.
“Bellatrix Star has had a bit of time between runs but seems to have trained on nicely from that very pleasing first-up run,” Walker said. “Going down the Flemington straight for the first time is always a query, but hopefully she’ll handle that okay.”
The final member of Saturday’s Flemington contingent for Te Akau is Zourion. Racing in the colours of Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay, the daughter of Zoustar won the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) as a two-year-old and added a placing in last year’s Gr.2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) in Melbourne.
Saturday’s TAB We’re On (1100m) will be the Zoustar mare’s first start since April.
“She jumped out nicely in blinkers the other day,” Walker said. “This looks like a nice race to kick her off in, just staying in her rating band for now, and hopefully we can build her up to some black-type races later in this campaign.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
