Ellerslie double caps massive week

Written by Richard Edmunds

A week on from a dream double in Sydney, the high-flying team of trainer Jamie Richards and jockey Opie Bosson struck another two lots of Group 1 gold at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Richards and Bosson teamed up at Randwick last weekend to win the G1 Surround S. with Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) and G1 Chipping Norton S. with Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}).

On Saturday they starred again, this time on home soil. Within the space of 90 golden minutes, the pair captured the G1 Sistema S. with Cool Aza Beel (NZ) (Savabeel) and the G1 Bonecrusher New Zealand S. with remarkably versatile mare Avantage (Fastnet Rock).

For good measure, Richards also won a race earlier on the Ellerslie program with Savy Yong Blonk (Savabeel), and produced 2-year-old filly Pazienza (Written Tycoon) for a dominant debut victory at Trentham.

Still in only his fifth full season of training, and his second in sole charge of the powerful Te Akau Racing operation, Richards has a phenomenal list of achievements.

He is within sight of 500 career victories, with more than 75 of those at stakes level, including Group 1 victories in Australia with Probabeel, Te Akau Shark, Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) and Gingernuts (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}).

He has been particularly dominant during feature summer racing at Ellerslie, winning the last four editions of the Karaka Million 2YO, and this year becoming the first trainer to win the Karaka Million 2YO and Karaka Million 3YO on the same day.

Cool Aza Beel’s victory in the Sistema S. was Richards’ fourth win in the last five runnings of the 2-year-old feature, and Avantage gave him back-to-back titles in the New Zealand S. after Melody Belle last year. Richards also won a New Zealand Derby in 2017 with Gingernuts.

But Richards played down his role in this remarkable run, deflecting credit on to his team – plus Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis, who bought all of these Group 1 stars from the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka.

“Results like these are hugely satisfying and exciting, but I’m just the guy who gets to stand here making all of the speeches,” Richards said.

“We’re very lucky to have a stable full of quality horses and a wonderful team that looks after them. These are the types of horses that Dave goes to the sales to try and buy, and the results are there to see. They’re testament to 30 years of hard work that Dave has put in.”

Cool Aza Beel won the Karaka Million at Ellerslie in late January, then was surprisingly beaten by his stablemate Need I Say More (No Nay Never {USA}) on rain-affected ground in last month’s G3 Waikato Stud Slipper at Matamata.

But on Saturday he returned to the scene of his Karaka Million triumph and was right back on top of his game.

Given a perfect ride by Bosson from the inside draw, Cool Aza Beel broke sharply before settling in third as Tivaan Warrior (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and Laced With Gold (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}) moved across in front of him from wide gates.

Bosson moved off the rail at the 500-metre mark and had Cool Aza Beel poised to pounce at the top of the straight, and the colt took care of the rest. He cruised to a one-length victory over last-start G2 Matamata Breeders’ S. winner Vernazza (NZ) (More than Ready {USA}), who produced a strong finish over the last 200 metres.

Cool Aza Beel was bred by Fairdale Stud, who bought his dam Cool ‘n’ Sassy (Testa Rossa) for just $13,000 at the 2016 Inglis Great Southern Sale.

Himself bought for NZ$150,000 at Karaka last year, Cool Aza Beel has won four of his six starts and more than NZ$700,000 in stakes.

“They didn’t go that hard early on and he was pulling a little, but once I got him out into the clear it was all over,” Bosson said.

“He’s a good colt and just a gun little racehorse. Last start he was just dipping and diving in the ground, so I knew getting him back on to a good track, he would be hard to beat.”

Avantage masters 2000 metres

Avantage’s victory in the 2000-metre Bonecrusher New Zealand S. on Saturday was a remarkable feat of versatility.

The daughter of Fastnet Rock had won the Karaka Million over 1200 metres as a 2-year-old, then added the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. over 1400 metres later that season. She was a Group 3 winner over 1200 metres in Sydney around this time last year.

Just seven weeks ago, Avantage captured one of New Zealand’s biggest sprints – the G1 Telegraph over 1200 metres at Trentham.

Five weeks later she stepped up to 1600 metres for the first time and won the G1 Haunui Farm WFA Classic at Otaki. On Saturday the bar was raised again, and again Avantage excelled.

Bosson and Avantage sat midfield behind a sedate early speed, but the star jockey again presented his mount at exactly the right time. Avantage burst into contention with a quality turn of foot at the top of the home straight, then held on strongly to beat the fast-finishing challengers True Enough (NZ) (Nom Du Jeu {NZ} and Supera (NZ) (Savabeel).

Saturday’s big double lifted Bosson’s career total of Group 1 victories to 74, with eight of those coming in Australia.

“We had a nice run and Avantage was just too strong in the finish,” Bosson said. “She reminds me of Melody Belle. She’s following in her footsteps pretty quickly.”

Richards echoed those thoughts.

“I don’t think there is going to be much between those two mares in the coming years,” he said.

“Avantage is a little bit different as she is a great eater and has a little more natural strength, so she should be able to handle the back-up into the G1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. at Te Aroha in three weeks. It will be back to a mile, which is probably her pet distance so I would say that is where we will probably be.”

Boilover in Auckland Cup

While Cool Aza Beel and Avantage were warm favourites for their respective Group 1 victories, it was a very different story in Saturday’s other elite contest – the G1 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup.

The 3200-metre feature was run at a gruelling pace, setting up a time faster than 3:20 for only the second time in the last 22 years.

Jockey Sam Collett made a bold move to swoop out of midfield before the home turn, and 40-to-one longshot Roger That (NZ) (Shinko King {Ire}) held up his end of the bargain with a tireless finish down the Ellerslie straight. His more-fancied rivals could not reel him in, and he won by 0.75l.

“He gave me a dream ride throughout,” said Collett, who also won last year’s Auckland Cup aboard the favourite Glory Days (NZ) (Red Giant {USA}). “He really toughed it out.”

It was a first Group 1 victory for unheralded Tauranga trainer Antony Fuller, whose season total prior to Saturday’s NZ$300,000 payday was two wins and NZ$51,890 in stakes.

“It’s just amazing,” Fuller said.

“There is a young girl who works for us and she asked me this morning if I was excited. I said, ‘I think I’m bloody daft – I could have picked an easier race for the horse.’

“We were just hoping he would run well, although we were confident he would stay. The question was whether he would stay fast enough for long enough, but I think he showed today that he is a very good stayer.”

Sound (Ger) (Lando {Ger}), from the trans-Tasman stable of Mike Moroney, finished second with James Winks in the saddle. Platinum Invador (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) was third.

Pakenham Cup winner Etah James (NZ) (Raise the Flag {GB}) finished fourth, while the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Azuro (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) was seventh.