Quality filly delivers Group 1 homecoming for Walker

Cover image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk

The curtain came down this week on a record-breaking run by the Hong Kong-bound trainer Jamie Richards, whose seven years at the helm of the Te Akau operation produced over 750 wins, including 53 at Group 1 level. His runners amassed more than NZ$30 million in stakes, and his 47-win lead on this season’s standings have virtually guaranteed him a fourth premiership title.

Richards’ departure cleared the way for a homecoming by Mark Walker, who won five premierships with Te Akau in the 2000s before a hugely successful 12-year career in Singapore. Saturday was Walker’s first day back in charge of the tangerine team on home soil, and he kicked off on a perfect note with Group 1 and Group 3 victories at Awapuni.

“It’s a real team effort,” Walker said. “Jamie left these horses in great order, and Sam (Bergerson, assistant trainer) and the team are a group of really good, young horsemen. I think there’s a lot to look forward to in the future.”

Saturday’s highlight came in the G1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce S., which the Te Akau stable won for the seventh time in the last two decades.

Maven Belle (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) became Walker’s third winner of the juvenile feature, following on from Maroofity (NZ) (Maroof {USA}) in 2003 and Kindacross (NZ) (Cape Cross {Ire}) in 2005, while Richards collected four consecutive wins with Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands), Avantage (Fastnet Rock), Yourdeel (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) and On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau).

Ridden by Sam Weatherley, Maven Belle jumped brilliantly out of the starting gates and dominated the 1400-metre race from the front, kicking clear at the top of the straight and holding on to win by 1.25l.

“She jumped so well,” Weatherley said. “I didn’t really expect to be leading, but I didn’t want to give it away once I ended up there. She travelled beautifully all the way, and well done to Mark and the team.

“It’s been four years since my first Group 1 win and I’ve had 10 or 11 second-placings since then, so it’s been a bit of a frustrating run, but I’m over the moon to win another one. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to ride this filly today.”

Maven Belle has now had five starts for four wins and a placing. She won the G3 Woburn Farm 2YO Classic and G2 Matamata Breeders’ S. in February, then charged home for a close and unlucky last-start third in the G1 Sistema S. at Ellerslie.

A valuable homebred

Maven Belle was bred by Te Akau principals David Ellis and Karyn Fenton-Ellis, in partnership with Mark and Julia Walker, and she is raced by the Te Akau Maven Belle Racing Partnership.

She is by former Te Akau star Burgundy (NZ), who was a NZ$1.3 million purchase by David Ellis at the 2010 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale. A half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner and quality sire Darci Brahma (NZ), Burgundy won five stakes races and placed in the G1 Telegraph H., then stood at Cambridge Stud from 2013 until his death in 2019.

Burgundy is currently enjoying a career-best season, sitting in the top three on the New Zealand Sires’ Premiership with 31 winners from 78 runners including four individual stakes winners. He has been credited with his first two Group 1 winners over the last few weeks, with Maven Belle’s heroics preceded by fellow Te Akau homebred Belle En Rouge (NZ) in last month’s G1 New Zealand Oaks at Trentham.

“It’s a shame for Burgundy, who’s sadly not with us any more – he’s had such a great season,” Walker said. “Maven Belle is a very valuable filly now, and she’s one of the homebreds off the farm at Te Akau. This is a fantastic result for the team.”

A nervous wait

Walker had to endure a nervous half-hour before his comeback Group 1 triumph was confirmed, as the connections of runner-up Wolverine (NZ) (Tivaci) lodged a protest shortly after the race.

Racing in the colours of part-owners Australian Bloodstock, Wolverine is trained locally by Roydon Bergerson, who was attempting to become the first Awapuni trainer in nearly 50 years to win his home-town feature.

Wolverine was the only runner to make ground on Maven Belle down the straight, eating into her margin with every stride in a powerful finishing burst.

Maven Belle drifted out inside the last 100 metres and clearly impeded Wolverine, and the only questions were whether it was too late in the race, whether Maven Belle was too far in front, or whether Wolverine’s lost momentum might have made all the difference to the result. After a lengthy deliberation, stewards let the placings stand and confirmed Maven Belle as the winner.

Wolverine has still had an outstanding season, winning the G2 Wakefield Challenge S. and G2 Eclipse S. before finishing second in both the R. Listed Karaka Million 2YO and the Sires’ Produce S. Incidentally, Wolverine’s Eclipse S. victory came via a successful protest.

Bergerson and part-owner Chris Rutten paid NZ$50,000 to buy Wolverine at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, and the high-class filly has earned over NZ$350,000 this season.

Second-stringer steals the show

Walker also won Saturday’s G3 Higgins Concrete Manawatu Classic, but not with the horse everyone expected.

The NZ$1.40 favourite was On The Bubbles, whose six wins in an 11-start career included last year’s G1 Sires’ Produce S., Karaka Million 2YO and two other Listed races. Saturday’s 2000-metre feature was the first step out beyond a metric mile for the Brazen Beau gelding, who came to the end of his run in the last 150 metres and had to settle for a close fourth.

Victory instead went to unheralded stablemate Amalfi Prince (Sebring), who produced a powerful staying performance to score by 1.25l.

Amalfi Prince was bred in New South Wales and was initially offered by Marquee Stud at the 2020 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale Round 2, where he was bought for $150,000. Ellis later added him to the Te Akau arsenal for a purchase price of NZ$90,000 at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale.

From seven starts, Amalfi Prince has now recorded two wins and three second-placings, with the promise of more to come.

“That was really good,” Walker said. “He looks as though he could run a bit further than that, so he’s an interesting horse."

“As for On The Bubbles, Opie (Bosson) gave him a gun run. His pedigree said he probably wouldn’t run the trip, and now it looks like a mile is probably far enough for him. We had to have a go, and at least we know now. We’ll likely stick to a mile and shorter with him next season.”