Te Rapa, G1 Herbie Dyke S., 2000m, NZ$400,000
Race summary:
Last year’s Herbie Dyke S. runner-up Tiptronic (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) returned to Te Rapa a year later and went one better.
The 2020 edition of the weight-for-age feature was set up by tearaway front-runner Camino Rocoso (NZ) (Shocking), who led by 10 to 12 lengths during the middle stages of the race.
But he was quickly swallowed up at the top of the straight by True Enough (NZ) (Nom du Jeu {NZ}), with Tiptronic soon joining him on his outside.
The two drew clear to fight out an exciting head-bobbing finish, which Tiptronic won by a nose in the hands of in-form jockey Jason Waddell.
Up-and-comer Rock on Wood (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) made up good ground to finish third, only half a length behind the first pair.
Tiptronic was a $100,000 purchase at the 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale by Graham Richardson, who trains the gelding from his Matamata base. He has now won six of his 30 starts and just under $500,000 in prize-money for a group of more than a dozen owners. This was his first Group 1 win.
Pedigree notes:
Tiptronic was bred by Waikato Stud and is a son of their late, great stallion O’Reilly (NZ). Tiptronic became that champion sire’s 15th individual Group 1 winner, joining a list that also features the likes of Silent Achiever (NZ), Sacred Falls (NZ), Shamrocker (NZ), Grunt (NZ) and Brutal (NZ).
The dam of Tiptronic is Tiptoes (NZ) (Pins), who was a winner and is the dam of four winners from four foals to race. Since Tiptronic was born in 2013, the mare has produced the two-race winners Motueka River (NZ) (Savabeel) and Alier (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), then a filly by Sacred Falls (NZ) and a colt by Savabeel.
Tiptoes is a sister or half-sister to two Group 1 winners. Legs (NZ) (Pins) won the New Zealand Oaks and Kelt Capital Stakes, while Guyno (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) won the WATC Derby.
Legs has also been a black-type producer, with six winners including the black-type performers Wolfwhistle (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) and Scrutinize (NZ) (Savabeel).
The second dam, the stakes-placed River Century (NZ) (Centaine), is a full-sister to multiple Group 2 winner Arletty (NZ) (Centaine), who is the granddam of multiple Group 1 winner Xtravagant (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) and the Group 1 performer and sire He’s Remarkable (NZ) (Pentire {GB}).
River Century is a three-quarter-sister to Sixty Seconds (NZ) (Centaine), who won the G1 Arrowfield Stud S.
Te Rapa, G1 BCD Group Sprint, 1400m, NZ$200,000
Race summary:
Victory at Group 1 level was one of the few things missing from the CV of last-start Cox Plate placegetter Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), and he ticked that box in style at Te Rapa.
There may have been a few brief concerns as last-start Group 1 winner The Mitigator (Master of Design) turned for home with a big lead and appeared to be travelling well.
But once Opie Bosson got Te Akau Shark rolling in the straight, the result was quickly beyond doubt. The highly talented chestnut charged out of midfield, swept past The Mitigator and went clear to win by two and three-quarter lengths.
Te Akau Shark was a $230,000 purchase at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale by David Ellis, who shares ownership with 13 others in a trans-Tasman partnership.
Trained by Jamie Richards, Te Akau Shark has had 11 starts for six wins, four placings and more than NZ$1 million in prize-money.
Pedigree notes:
Te Akau Shark was bred by Darrell Hollinshead. He is by Windsor Park’s well-performed shuttle stallion Rip Van Winkle (Ire), who returned to Windsor Park Stud for his ninth New Zealand season in 2019 and commanded a service fee of NZ$12,500.
Rip Van Winkle has sired 691 winners from 893 runners worldwide, with 31 individual stakes winners. His southern hemisphere progeny have featured 165 winners from 276 runners including 16 at black-type level.
Te Akau Shark is out of Bak Da Chief (NZ) (Chief Bearheart {Can}), who scored the biggest win of her racing career in the G2 Waikato Cup at Te Rapa – the same venue as Saturday’s race.
Bak Da Chief is the dam of three winners from six foals to race. Her next two foals were also by Rip Van Winkle – the placegetter Melarita (NZ) and Baby Shark (NZ), who has had one start to date. Bak Da Chief produced a colt by Redwood (GB) in 2018.
Bak Da Chief is out of Havitbak (NZ) (Bakharoff {USA}), who won eight races and was twice placed at Group 3 level.
She is a half-sister to Bak Da Princess (NZ) (Danske {NZ}), who is the dam of Group 1 winner Pondarosa Miss (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and the three-time stakes winner Ecuador (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}), who placed in the G1 Epsom H., C.F. Orr S. and Futurity S.
Te Rapa, G2 Waikato Guineas, 2000m, NZ$100,000
Race summary:
Nine years on from dominant victories in the G2 Waikato Guineas and G1 New Zealand Derby by Jimmy Choux (NZ), his talented daughter Two Illicit (NZ) is poised to follow in his footsteps.
A last-start winner of the G2 Royal S. against her own sex, Two Illicit took on the boys in Saturday’s traditional Derby lead-up and delivered a scintillating performance.
Ridden by Vinnie Colgan, she dropped back early before cruising into contention rounding the home turn.
She went into full flight in the straight, exploding clear and racing to victory by seven and a half lengths.
Fellow filly Travelling Light (NZ) (El Roca), a last-start winner of the G1 Levin Classic, finished second. There were another six lengths back to Pimlico (NZ) (Proisir) in third.
Trained by Roger James and Robert Wellwood for owner-breeders Trelawney Stud, Two Illicit has now had six starts for four wins and two placings.
The Guineas lost some interest with the scratching on Saturday morning of Dragon Leap (Pierro) due to an elevated temperature. The last-start Group 2 winner was favourite for both the Guineas and the New Zealand Derby. He will now be aimed at next Saturday’s G2 Avondale Guineas at Ellerslie.
Pedigree notes:
Two Illicit is by Jimmy Choux (NZ), who himself won five Group 1 races including the New Zealand Derby and Rosehill Guineas. He stood at Rich Hill Stud until 2019, when he relocated to Rosalee Stud in Western Australia. He stood for a service fee of $4950 last spring.
Jimmy Choux has sired 86 winners from 196 runners with 10 individual stakes winners. Two Illicit is now clearly the second best behind The Bostonian (NZ), the winner of the G1 Doomben 10,000 and Kingsford-Smith Cup in Queensland last winter.
Two Illicit’s dam is Gemini (NZ) (Tale of the Cat {USA}), who was placed on the track and is the dam of two winners from three foals to race. Two Illicit is her first stakes winner, and she has subsequently produced a filly by Showcasing (GB) and a colt by Turn Me Loose (NZ).
Gemini is a half-sister to Easy Eddie (Super Easy {NZ}), the winner of the G3 Maurice McCarten H. and placegetter in the G1 Galaxy H.
Second dam Contiguous (USA) (Danzig {USA}) is the dam of three stakes performers including Group 3 winner Confront (GB) (Nayef {USA}). She is also a half-sister to seven stakes winners, and another of her siblings is the dam of the six-time Group 1 winner Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}).
Te Rapa, G2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic, 2000m, NZ$100,000
Race summary:
Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) and Loire (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) have struggled for supremacy in feature fillies’ racing in New Zealand all season, but on Saturday Jennifer Eccles emphatically gained the upper hand.
The Shaune Ritchie-trained Jennifer Eccles raced in midfield and was briefly pocketed approaching the home turn. But jockey Jason Waddell angled her into clear air at the top of the straight and Jennifer Eccles did the rest, bursting to a clear lead with a slick turn of foot.
Last-start Group 3 winner Showbeel (NZ) (Savabeel) ran on into second, two and a half lengths behind the winner. There were another three and three-quarter lengths back to third placegetter Loire, who won the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas in the spring.
Jennifer Eccles was bought for just NZ$5000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling Sale by syndicator Adrian Clark, and she is raced by an enthusiastic group of more than 50 owners. She has now won two of her nine starts, both at Group 2 level, and placed in another six. She has earned more than NZ$205,000 in stakes.
Pedigree notes:
Jennifer Eccles was bred by the Westend Partnership.
Her victory was part of a huge day for shuttle stallion Rip Van Winkle (Ire), who also sired his first Group 1 winner with Te Akau Shark (NZ) in the BCD Group Sprint.
Rip Van Winkle has sired 691 winners from 893 runners worldwide, with 31 individual stakes winners. His southern hemisphere progeny have featured 165 winners from 276 runners including 16 at black-type level. Group 1 star Te Akau Shark (NZ) is the headline act, while Jennifer Eccles, Capella (NZ) and Lasarla (NZ) have all won at Group 2 level.
The dam of Jennifer Eccles is Platinum Elle (NZ) (Elnadim {USA}), who won four races and placed in the Listed Canterbury Breeders’ S.
Platinum Elle is the dam of two winners from four runners. Since producing Jennifer Eccles in 2016, she has produced a colt by Sweynesse. In the 2019 season, she was served by new stallion What’s The Story (NZ).
Second dam Lady Tee (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) won two races and placed in the G3 Eulogy S., and she is a half-sister to the dam of Group 2 winner Puttanesca (NZ) (Bertolini {USA}).
The third dam, Waikiki (NZ) (Crested Wave {USA}), won nine races including two editions of the G2 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ S., which is now a Group 1 race.
