Cover image courtesy of Race Images
Written by Richard Edmunds
While star mare Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) warmed up for the All-Star Mile with an encouraging third in the G1 Futurity S. in Melbourne, trainer Jamie Richards and the Te Akau Racing juggernaut enjoyed a super Saturday on the other side of the Tasman.
The tangerine and blue colours combined for two black-type quinellas. The unbeaten Need I Say More (No Nay Never {USA}) upstaged his Karaka Million-winning stablemate Cool Aza Beel (NZ) (Savabeel) in the G3 Waikato Stud Slipper for 2-year-old colts and geldings at Matamata, then Avantage (Fastnet Rock) and Prise de Fer (NZ) (Savabeel) combined in a dream result in the G1 Haunui Farm WFA Classic at Otaki.
Avantage had already proven her star quality, winning the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. and the Karaka Million in a championship-winning 2-year-old season and adding the G3 Birthday Card S. at Rosehill as a 3-year-old. She also conquered an elite field of sprinters in the G1 Telegraph at Trentham in January.
But the daughter of Fastnet Rock headed south to Otaki with a big question to answer – was she a pure sprinter, or could she extend that quality and toughness up to a mile? On Saturday she delivered an emphatic response.
Ridden by Danielle Johnson, Avantage sat in midfield as The Mitigator (Master Of Design) set the pace on a rain-affected Otaki track.
Avantage
While most of the field kept well away from the rail coming up to the home turn, Johnson decided to cut the corner. Avantage went from fifth to first in the blink of an eye, bursting to a clear lead at the top of the home straight.
Challengers lined up across the track to try to reel her in, and it was her stablemate Prise De Fer who got the closest with a determined finish out wide on the track.
But Avantage was too strong and too good, holding on to win by 0.75l from Prise De Fer.
With the stable’s top jockey Opie Bosson in Melbourne for Melody Belle, Avantage was ridden to victory by Danielle Johnson.
From four rides on Avantage, Johnson has now won three races including the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S., Saturday’s Haunui Farm WFA Classic and the G3 Gold Trail S. Their only defeat together came in a fast-finishing fourth behind stablemate Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) in the G1 BCD Group Sprint at Te Rapa earlier this month.
“It’s pretty exciting and great to get my second Group 1 win on her,” Johnson said. “She can be pretty quirky, but the team do a great job with her and deserve a lot of credit.
“She can be pretty quirky, but the team do a great job with her and deserve a lot of credit. " - Danielle Johnson
“I talked to Jamie before the race and we thought the inside part of the track didn’t seem to be too bad, so we decided to stay in a little bit. It’s really paid off. I was just mindful not to go too soon, it being her first start at 1600 metres. I counted to 10 before I went.
“I had a few thoughts when I saw those same tangerine colours coming up beside me, and they weren’t pleasant thoughts, but we held on to win.”
Richards watched the race from his showpiece local race meeting at Matamata.
“It’s been a really good day for the team, and that Group 1 at Otaki this afternoon was great to watch,” Richards told TDN AusNZ.
“It’s been a really good day for the team, and that Group 1 at Otaki this afternoon was great to watch.'' - Jamie Richards
“I thought Avantage really deserved that win. She’s a proper racemare. She was New Zealand’s champion 2-year-old of her year, then she was a Group winner in Sydney as a 3-year-old. She showed what a good sprinter she is in the Telegraph this season, and now she’s won at weight-for-age over a mile as well. She deserves it, and it’s a top result for a fantastic group of owners.”
Bred by Willie and Karen Calder, Avantage was a NZ$210,000 purchase by Te Akau principal David Ellis at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
She has now won nine of her 16 starts, including six at stakes level, for more than NZ$1.3 million in stakes.
Avantage as a yearling
She may have a shot at a third Group 1 win for this season, with Richards eyeing the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. at Te Aroha on April 4.
“We won’t make any decisions today, we’ll get the horses home first and see how they’ve come through it,” Richards said. “But the Breeders’ S. at Te Aroha looks like a lovely race for her. We’ll have a think about it, and if we do decide to go that way, we’ll need to work out how we get her there.”
Richards is also excited about the future for Prise De Fer, who has been one of the finds of the New Zealand season. Prior to Saturday’s second placing at Group 1 level, he had won five races in a row including the G2 Rich Hill Mile and G3 Taranaki Cup.
Jamie Richards
“He’s shown that he’s a Group 1-calibre horse too,” Richards said. “It was his first time against these sorts of horses at weight-for-age, whereas Avantage had been there and done it before.
“I think he’s going to be a lovely horse next season. He still has some maturing and filling out to do, and he’s definitely one to watch.”
The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel) found the line well to finish third, 2l behind the Te Akau pair. The winner of the G3 Frank Packer Plate and G2 Herbert Power S. during 2019, he is warming up for another Australian campaign for trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, who have identified the G1 Sydney Cup as his main autumn target.
