THE Auckland Racing Club’s Karaka Million raceday was held in twilight at Pukekohe on Saturday, marking the 16th edition since the series’ inception.
Remarkably Te Akau Racing with Mark Walker at the head of affairs, saddled up seven of the 14 starters in the flagship Karaka Million 2YO and, while the stable’s top jockey Opie Bosson elected to ride the previously unbeaten Trobriand, punters were on the mark sending out Tokyo Tycoon off favourite with the South African jockey Craig Zachery up.
Slow out of the 1,200 metre barrier and a clear last approaching the final bend, Zachery took Tokyo Tycoon along the rail before pushing wide as an opening presented.
Sprouting wings over the final 100 metres, the son of Rich Hill Stud’s Japanese-bred Yasuda Kinen winner Satono Aladdin swept to the lead to win by a length, making it seven straight victories in the race for Te Akau.
Second was the Snitzel filly Ethereal Star with the winner’s stablemate, the Kermadec colt Trobriand, in third.
“It’s a real relief, if anything,” said Mark Walker. “After the two wins by Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards, and then another four by Jamie on his own, I didn’t want to be the one that jinxed it! It’s very satisfying.
“It’s amazing for David Ellis to have bought the winner of this race seven years in a row. You could go anywhere in the world and struggle to see an achievement like that in any other major race.
“I think the best horse on the day won the race and it just goes to show that anyone can own a racehorse,” added Walker. “He wasn’t an overly expensive yearling (NZ$125,000) and he has a great syndicate.”
Jockey Craig Zackey has only relocated from South Africa to New Zealand in November and has already ridden 16 winners from 95 starts.
“It is unexplainable. I have only just moved here and I have won one of the biggest races. It is overwhelming,” said Zackey.
“Mark left it up to me and I thought I’d leave it up to the horse. You can’t see the work that is put in. They have got a massive operation and I am just glad that they have given me the support and pleased that I have been able to improvise and do the best that I can.”
Rich Hill Stud will offer a Vadamos half-sister to Tokyo Tycoon (lot 24) during the first session of the Karaka Yearling Sale, beginning Sunday.
THE Choisir stallion Proisir, standing at Rich Hill Stud and currently top of the New Zealand sires’ table crossed off another milestone when Prowess, trained by Roger James and Robert Wellwood, took down a quality field to win the Karaka Million 3YO Classic over 1,600 metres on Saturday.
“It’s pretty special,” said James. “I think this is certainly the best field of three-year-olds that we’ve seen assembled in New Zealand in quite some time.
“I truly believe that a number of these horses, hopefully us included, will be able to go and fly the flag for New Zealand racing and breeding in Australia, where it really matters.”
Settled mid-field, Prowess glided into the contest three-wide approaching the home straight.
Hitting the front at the top of the straight, Prowess kept the pressure on, denying her pursuers by three-quarters of a length as the Vanbrugh gelding White Night claimed second ahead of the Pride Of Dubai gelding Desert Lightning.
The NZ$230,000 2021 Karaka yearling was ridden by Warren Kennedy, also a recent departure from the South African riding ranks.
“For the South African boys to win both million-dollar races is just fantastic and for all the people that have had faith to bring us here and faith in us to put us on these horses, we are delivering and a big ‘thank you’ to all of them.”
Proisir will be represented by 49 yearlings at Karaka 2023 across books 1 and 2 which begin on Sunday through to February 3rd.
RACING Victoria is toying with the idea of moving the date for the Cox Plate, the 2,040 metre Group 1 which is widely considered the premium weight-for-age contest in the country.
The race is traditionally held the Saturday after the Caulfield Cup and a week before the Victoria Derby. Racing Victoria has November 25th in mind.
“It’s a cat-wrangling exercise in Victorian racing to get people to agree to either move fixtures or create new ones but certainly a priority for me is to look at what is the best and most fan-friendly schedule that we can create for Victorian racing,” said Racing Victoria CEO Andrew Jones.
The sweetener for the Moonee Valley Racing Club may be a huge boost in prize money, rumoured to make the race an A$8 million event.
“The ball is in their court, they need to come up with an offer to make us consider the change,” said Moonee Valley chairman Michael Browell.