Caliburn (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) has been bought on behalf of the Te Akau chief and his wife Karyn by bloodstock agent Paul Moroney and the couple will race him with company clients. Matamata trainer Jamie Richards will take charge of the entire, who will make his Australian debut next month.
However, the 4-year-old will firstly require a name change as Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde is currently having success with another Caliburn, a recent winner at Murtoa who is, coincidentally, also a son of Camelot.
“I think our horse will be called Te Akau Caliburn,” Ellis said. “Paul was the agent that bought the horse for Karyn and myself and we’ll race him with some good clients of Te Akau.
“It’s pretty exciting, I’ve bought a yearling in Europe before and this is the first proven horse I’ve bought,” Ellis said.
“It’s pretty exciting, I’ve bought a yearling in Europe before and this is the first proven horse I’ve bought.” – David Ellis.
In 2013, he purchased Torcedor (Ire) (Fastnet Rock), who is out of a sister to former champion European stayer Yeats (Ire), for 70,000 euros at the Arqana Deauville Yearling Sale and he won the G3 Sagaro S. and the G3 Vintage Crop S.
He also finished runner-up in the G1 Goodwood Cup and the G1 Irish St Leger and finished third in the G1 Ascot Gold Cup before his sale last year to German interests.
Torcedor (Ire)
Moroney’s brief was to secure a staying prospect to chase the lucrative prize-money in Australia and filled it with the former Andrew Balding-trained entire, who has won twice up to 2400 metres and has three placings from his nine appearances.
“I told Paul that I wanted a horse who could measure up at Group 1 level in Australia, whether it was this spring or a horse that had the potential to improve and be competitive in the big races next year.
“Whether we get to the Caulfield Cup or the Melbourne Cup this year who knows, but I’m pretty confident the following year we can run in all the big cups.”
Form franked
At his most recent appearance last month, he finished runner-up at Newmarket over 2800 metres behind King’s Advice (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who is the current favourite for England’s richest handicap – the 1 million pound Ebor H. at York.
“He went into quarantine in Newmarket last Friday and he’ll be there for two weeks and then he goes to Werribee and has two more weeks in quarantine,” Ellis said.
A programme has already been locked in for the entire with his early performances to decide if he continues on a spring cups’ path this preparation.
“We’re thinking that he’ll run over 2500 metres at Flemington on September 14 as a nice lead-in to the Bart Cummings,” Ellis said.
Tattersalls graduate
Sold for 155,000 at Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2016, Te Akau Caliburn is a son of the Listed Leopardstown Knockaire S. winner Enchanted Evening (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}), whose four foals to race are all winners and includes the stakes performer Taexali (Ire) (Raven’s Pass {USA}).
Caliburn, son of Enchanted Evening
Out of the multiple North American Group 3 winner Glen Kate (Ire) (Glenstal {USA}), Enchanted Evening is a half-sister to the Group winners King Jock (USA) (Ghazi {USA}) and Perfect Touch (USA) (Miswaki {USA}) and the family of the three-time Group 2 winner Katdogawn (GB) (Bahhare {USA}).
Te Akau Caliburn will likely be joined in Melbourne by stablemates and G1 Cox Plate hopefuls Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) and Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) while Avantage (Fastnet Rock), In A Twinkling (Fastnet Rock) and Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) are also in line to make the travelling party.
