Awapuni trainer Roydon Bergerson and respected yearling buyer Chris Rutten have had a dream start to 2025 with their $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) contenders.
Too Sweet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) regained the top position in the order of entry with a commanding win in the $225,000 Group Two Skycity Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. Less than 24 hours later, her lightly raced stablemate In The Air (NZ) (Embellish) put his own name into the Karaka Millions mix with victory in Thursday’s $18,500 Valley Plumbing 2YO (1000m) at Tauherenikau.
Too Sweet now holds the number-one spot on the order of entry for the second time this season. The daughter of Satono Aladdin was an early table-topper after her winning debut in the $40,000 Graham’s Painters 2YO (900m) at Trentham in late October, but was overtaken by a number of other impressive winners during the following two months. Her only other appearance during that time produced a second placing at Trentham on December 7.
That all changed in the Eclipse at Ellerslie, where Too Sweet broke sharply from her wide gate and led all the way for an outstanding win. She once again leads the Karaka Millions contenders with earnings of $164,400 from a three-start, two-win career.
“It’s good to come up here and get some of this Auckland money,” Bergerson said during the post-race presentation at Ellerslie. “Now we’re hoping we can come back again and pick up a bit more of it in a few weeks’ time.”
Too Sweet will spend the next three weeks in the care of Bergerson’s son Sam, a co-trainer in the powerhouse Te Akau Racing operation in Matamata. He also shares in the ownership of Too Sweet, whose next raceday appearance will be in the big race on January 25.
Rutten paid $50,000 to buy Too Sweet from the Book 2 draft of Phoenix Park at Karaka 2024. She is just the latest in a long line of age-group stakes performers that were bought by Rutten at Karaka, joining the likes of Karaka Millions 2YO winner Vespa (NZ) (Elusive City) and Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) hero Scott Base (NZ) (Dalghar), along with multiple Group One winner Yourdeel (NZ) (Dundeel), who placed in the Karaka Millions. Rutten also purchased fellow Karaka Millions placegetters Wolverine (NZ) (Tivaci), Touche (NZ) (Thorn Park), Kingsman (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and Avonallo (NZ) (Belardo).
Rutten and Bergerson now have a potential second string for this year’s Karaka Millions 2YO with In The Air, who fought hard for a narrow maiden win at Tauherenikau on Thursday. That was just the second career start for the Embellish (NZ) gelding, who had finished fifth in his only previous appearance.
Notably, both Too Sweet and In The Air have full-siblings catalogued for Karaka 2025. A full-sister to Too Sweet will go through the ring as Lot 855 in Brighthill Farm’s Book 2 draft, while In The Air’s full-brother will be offered by Wentwood Grange as Lot 728.
In The Air was himself bought by Chris Rutten Bloodstock for $27,500 from Wentwood Grange’s draft in the 2023 National Weanling Sale at Karaka. His stakes earnings of $10,730 put him in 18th spot on the order of entry and within sight of a Karaka Millions start. The top 14 two-year-olds on the order of entry will make the final field for the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO.
That top 14 sees Too Sweet at the head of affairs, followed by Intention (NZ) (Bivouac) with $102,625 and Eclipse Stakes runner-up La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) with $64,625.
Landlock (Merchant Navy) comes next with $57,375, while Eclipse Stakes third placegetter Almakeitgood (NZ) (Ardrossan) completes the top five with $41,610.
Sweet Ice (NZ) (Frosted) has earned $40,750, Toretto (NZ) (Ardrossan) has $40,525 and his Hollie Wynyard-trained stablemate Sierra Leone (NZ) (Sun City) has $34,950.
Vega For Luck (NZ) (Lucky Vega) comes next with $33,950, ahead of potential Australian raider Hello Romeo (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) with $32,715. The top 14 is rounded out by Romanoff (NZ) (Belardo) with $26,975, Miss Ziggy (NZ) (Brazen Beau) with $24,375, Belle Du Monde (Zoustar) with $23,125 and Abbakiss (Microphone) with $19,810.
There is still time for those standings to change. Te Aroha hosts an $18,500 maiden two-year-old race over 1000 metres on Saturday, while the $100,000 Listed Star Group Wellesley Stakes (1100m) will be run at Trentham a week later.
The TAB Karaka Millions 2YO is part of a stellar six-race twilight meeting at Ellerslie on January 25, which sets the scene for a spectacular week of Karaka 2025 selling action.
