Te Akau Racing have had another stellar season and some of their stars that contributed to their success have returned to their Matamata barn to try and continue their dominance next term.
The Waikato Stud-bred and raced Skew Wiff was the stable's first Group One winner for the season, and consequently co-trainer Sam Bergerson's first elite-level training triumph, following her victory in the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings.
She subsequently crossed the Tasman where she won the Group 3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.
The daughter of Savabeel has returned to New Zealand and has enjoyed a month off at Waikato Stud before returning to trainers Mark Walker and Bergerson's Matamata barn where she is preparing for another early spring assault.
“She has done really well and has put on a lot of weight in a short period of time,” Bergerson told Trackside. “She has come back in good order and has been here (racing stable) just shy of two weeks but seems to have settled back in well.
“We will probably look to do the same again (as last season). It (Tarzino Trophy) was my first Group One win, which was a massive thrill, so she certainly holds a special place in my heart.
“We will look to trial her at Te Rapa in early August, head to the Foxbridge (Group 2, 1200m) and then Tarzino. We will then just reassess plans and sit down with Mark (Chittick, Waikato Stud) and see whether they want to put her in-foal or we keep going if she is in fantastic form. We will just have to wait and see.”
Campionessa is another that has returned from Melbourne. The rising seven-year-old mare was a standout in New Zealand over summer, winning the Group 2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1600m), Group 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m), Group 1 Zabeel Classic (2050m) and runner-up in the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m).
She continued that good form in Australia when victorious in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) and placed in the Group 2 Sunline Stakes (1600m).
“We got her back in the spring and she went a couple of okay races and then picked up a bug,” Bergerson said. “We turned her out and she came back in and was racing in fantastic form over Christmas and went to Australia and did a fantastic job.
“She has done really well (spelling). She didn't actually have that long out at Te Akau Stud but put on a lot of weight in a short period of time. We thought we better get her back in before we would have been spending a lot of time trying to strip the weight off her, she does so well.
“We have pencilled her in for (a trial) early August at Te Rapa, like a lot of the good horses, and then we will map it out from there on how she comes up. That (Tarzino Trophy) seems a likely option.”
Group One winners Quintessa and Move To Strike have also returned to Te Akau's Matamata barn in preparation for their spring targets.
“It (Levin Classic) was a huge win (for Quintessa),” Bergerson said. “It was a tough, gutsy effort aided by a fantastic ride from Opie (Bosson), who seems to get on wonderfully with her.
“She had a good month off at Te Akau and is another one like Campionessa that did really well in a short space of time. She seemed to have enjoyed her time off and she came back via the water treadmill. We are slowly getting the work into her now and stripping that weight off.
“It is extremely exciting to have Move To Strike back, he is a lovely animal to do anything with. He has done really well in his break, he had a good spell there after Manawatu (Sires' Produce) and is growing into a lovely animal.
“He has put on plenty of weight, so he is on a bit of a diet as we look to get him fitter and aim him towards the 2000 Guineas (Group 1, 1600m) at Riccarton.”
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