Te Akau’s 2-year-old gold rush continues

3 min read

By Richard Edmunds

A debut victory by On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau) has added to a remarkable run of 2-year-old success for trainer Jamie Richards and the powerful Te Akau Racing operation.

Bought by David Ellis for NZ$90,000 from Book 1 of the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, On The Bubbles led all the way for an emphatic victory in Saturday’s NZB Insurance Pearl Series 2YO at Awapuni.

Richards and the Te Akau team have now won more than half of the 15 2-year-old races run in New Zealand so far in the 2020/21 season, with On The Bubbles following in the footsteps of Avonallo (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}), Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), Millefiori (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}), Palamos (Extreme Choice), Quattro Quinta (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), Sophisticardo (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) and Sword Of State (Snitzel).

“That’s our eighth individual 2-year-old winner this season and seven of those have been on debut, which is just incredible,” Ellis said.

“We don’t put pressure on our 2-year-olds and it just highlights what a great judge Jamie (Richards) is of knowing when they’re ready to race. We like them to tell us when they’re feeling right to head to the races, and by doing that, they stay happy.

“And, of course, that was our 70th win for the season, and that’s amazing when you think we’re under five months into it. For all our team, this is a great result on the last Saturday of racing before Christmas. They’ve done an amazing job educating these babies.

"For all our team, this is a great result on the last Saturday of racing before Christmas. They’ve done an amazing job educating these babies." - David Ellis

“With 2-year-old racing, it’s often the best-educated and best-trained horses that win. And, as is my policy with 2-year-olds, we don’t put any undue pressure on them, let them do it naturally, and we back off them if they’re feeling it.

“And by treating them that way, it’s one of the main reasons so many of our 2-year-olds train on at three, four, and as older horses.”

Richards was impressed with the debut performance of On The Bubbles, who is now guaranteed a start in the Karaka Million 2YO at Ellerslie on January 23 – a race Richards and the Te Akau team have won four years in a row with Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands), Avantage (Fastnet Rock), Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) and Cool Aza Beel (NZ) (Savabeel).

On The Bubbles as a yearling

“He worked across to find the front quite easily and it was a good, tough effort,” Richards said. “Parkesy (Johnathan Parkes, jockey) asked him to quicken from the 600 metres and he did a really good job. He was running on empty at the line, but a big effort after being used at both ends of the race.

“He’s certainly open to more improvement and qualified for the Karaka Million, so I’m really pleased with how he’s going. He’s a horse that has always shown some ability. We had to sort out his attitude a little bit, hence why he was gelded, but really pleased with where he’s at.”

On The Bubbles is out of the Sebring mare More Bubbles, a half-sister to the G1 Myer Classic winner Politeness (Street Sense {USA}). On The Bubbles is her first foal. She missed last year, but produced a colt foal by Impending in 2020.