Te Akau Racing have been a dominant force among New Zealand’s juvenile ranks this season, and they are hoping to add one more two-year-old stakes scalp to their record on Friday.
The country’s leading stable are tipped to do so when they line-up Honour Roll in the Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Otaki, with the son of Savabeel an even money favourite for the juvenile feature.
Bred by Waikato Stud, Honour Roll was purchased out of their 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft by Te Akau Racing principal Sir David Ellis for $190,000.
He placed on debut over 1000m at Tauherenikau on Waitangi Day before being gelded, and he subsequently went on to win fresh-up over 1200m at Matamata in May.
“He was quite colty but now that he is a gelding he is putting it together,” said Mark Walker, who trains Honour Roll in partnership with Sam Bergerson.
“He has had a jumpout (since his last start) at the home track (Matamata) because the trials didn’t really fit in, and that kept ticking him over nicely.”
Honour Roll will jump from barrier 12 and will be ridden by Michael McNab, with Walker believing he will handle the Heavy10 track conditions that are currently on offer at Otaki.
“He has drawn wide, but it is a Heavy track so they will probably be coming down that part of the track anyway,” Walker said.
“Matamata was pretty wet that day (he won) and he skipped through it pretty well, so he should be fine (on a Heavy track), he certainly gets through the ground.
“It is a pretty even field on Friday so we will see how we go.”
The Listed Phils Electrical & Gipsy Caravans Ryder Stakes (1200m) at Otaki in a fortnight presents as another black-type opportunity, but Walker said they will likely bypass that race with Honour Roll in favour of next month’s Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka.
“We might give him a bit of time to get over it and maybe we head to the Ruakaka race, but Sam and I will just see how he pulls up,” Walker said.
If successful, Honour Roll will become the fifth individual two-year-old stakes winner for Te Akau this season, joining Group One winners Lara Antipova and Seize The Day, and Zafar and Kinnaird.
Undefeated filly Lara Antipova has crossed the Tasman to join Te Akau’s Cranbourne barn ahead of a Melbourne spring campaign, and Walker said she is coming up nicely alongside stablemate and fellow elite-level victor Belle Cheval.
“Lara Antipova and Belle Cheval are going to trial next Thursday at Caulfield over 800m,” Walker said. “Both of them are ticking over nicely.”
Meanwhile, Walker is looking forward to injury plagued Group One performer Bellatrix Star’s raceday return this weekend.
The Star Witness mare suffered a fractured neck and chipped fetlock in separate incidents last year and is on the comeback trail once more and will make her highly-anticipated return in the Gr.3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday, where she will be ridden by Craig Williams from barrier 10.
Walker said Bellatrix Star has had a lengthy build-up and Saturday’s performance will dictate whether she continues her racing career or retires to the broodmare paddock.
“She has had four jumpouts this time in, so she has been well seasoned to make sure that the (fetlock) operation has been successful and we have just got to see if that equates to raceday performance,” Walker said.
“Her last jump out was good (won over 800m), so it is really D-Day for her on Saturday. If she puts in a really good performance we carry on, but if she is disappointing, she will almost certainly be looking for the broodmare paddock I would say.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
