Shortly after trainer Jamie Richards and jockey Opie Bosson teamed up to win the Group 1 Surround Stakes with Probabeel, the New Zealand duo were at it again when giving the locals a bloody nose with Te Akau Shark in the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Placed in the Group 1 WS Cox Plate, Group 1 Epsom Handicap and Group II Tramway Stakes in three Australian starts last year, Te Akau Shark crossed the Tasman again after winning the Group 1 WaikRC Waikato Sprint at his most recent start.
Settled well back in the field, the son of Rip Van Winkle (IRE) still had plenty to do at the 300 metres but he powered home to defeat another NZ-bred Verry Elleegant (Zed) by a half-length, with Fierce Impact (JPN) (Deep Impact) a further one and a quarter lengths back in third.
"He’s got stronger this time in and he’s just so laid back about things too,” Bosson said.
“He doesn’t know how good he is. He is untapped still.
“When they quickened up they just left him a bit flat-footed but once he balanced up he just kept grinding through those gears. It’s great and there’s plenty more to come."
Richards said it was his most memorable day on the racetrack.
"I thought it couldn't have got much better than the Karaka Millions double but I just think it has," Richards told AAP.
"He can do things other horses can't, that's the difference.He's a very, very exciting horse.
"I said to Opie, 'Just don't be as far back as you were on Probabeel', but he ended up back in a sticky spot. But when he gets on his outside leg and he gets a bit of clear room he can really charge late.
"This horse has got a bit of arrogance about him. He's a bit grumpy. He's one of those horses who knows he's pretty good.
"He's not a fantastic eater, he's not a big, strong horse with a big barrel on him. He's pretty lean and mean but he's got a big ticker."
Purchased by David Ellis for $230,000 out of the Lyndhurst Farm draft at the 2016 NZB Ready To Run Sale of 2YOs, Te Akau Shark advances his record to 7 wins, 3 seconds and 1 third from 12 starts with earnings of $1,382,568.
He is the best of three winners from six to race out of the Group II Waikato Gold Cup winner Bak Da Chief (Chief Bearhart) who has a yearling colt by Redwood (GB) in the Woburn Farm draft heading to the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. (Lot 343).
Te Akau Shark is one of two Group 1 winners for Windsor Park Stud's Rip Van Winkle a triple Group 1 winning son of Galileo who covered just 43 mares last spring at a fee of $12,500 (+GST).
