Te Akau targets 8th Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas

CHRISTCHURCH A team of four will aim to defend Te Akau’s crown in the NZ$600,000 (S$440,000) Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1,600m) at Riccarton Park on Nov 8 after the prominent racing outfit won the feature with Captured By Love in 2024.

Before that, Te Akau has claimed the race six times with Insouciant (2007), King’s Rose (2010), Costa Viva (2013), Risque (2015), Kahma Lass (2020) and The Perfect Pink (2021).

This time, Mark Walker, former four-time Singapore champion trainer, and his co-trainer Sam Bergerson will be pinning their hopes on Cool Aza Rene, Belle Du Monde, Origin Of Love and Belle Cheval in the field of 12.

Cool Aza Rene, Belle Du Monde and Origin Of Love have completed their preparations from Te Akau’s Riccarton base, while Belle Cheval is coming off a smart Ellerslie maiden win over 1,400m second-up on Oct 25.

Bergerson, who formed a training partnership with Walker since August 2023, said preparation had gone well for the four three-year-old fillies, but he was particularly impressed with Belle Cheval.

The Savabeel three-year-old opened her account under Craig Grylls, but she will be ridden by New Zealand champion jockey Opie Bosson, who hung up his boots last December but has returned to riding since late August.

Bosson, who won the 2007 Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup (2,200m) atop Recast and the 2010 Group 1 Singapore Derby (2,000m) with Race Ahead, will be eyeing his 100th Group 1 success with Belle Cheval.

“The fillies that have been down there do have a massive advantage. We’ve had a lot of luck doing it that way, but I still think the northern form and the fillies flying down are the benchmark,” said Bergerson.

“Belle Cheval is lightly raced and has to take the next step, but we do think she is very talented and the mile will suit.

“Her sectionals the other day were off the chart and I think she’s the top seed.

“But in saying that, the other fillies are settled down there and it’s been straightforward getting them through to Saturday.”

Origin Of Love won the Group 3 War Decree Stakes (1,600m) last start at Riccarton Park on Oct 25, while Cool Aza Rene was successful in the Group 3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1,400m) at Ashburton on Oct 11, in which Belle Du Monde finished fourth.

Bergerson would not dismiss the trio.

“Origin Of Love is a stakes winner at a mile, Cool Aza Rene proved us wrong when we stretched her out in trip, and back to Riccarton and up to a mile, I think Belle Du Monde can run really well,” he said.

“They are an interesting quartet, but it is going to be hard to beat Stephen Marsh’s filly (Well Written).”

Well Written is the favourite at 8-5. The daughter of Written Tycoon is two-from-two, and that includes her last-start win in the Group 2 Soliloquy Stakes (1,400m) at Ellerslie on Oct 18.

Meanwhile, 2024 heroine Captured By Love will take on the Group 3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1,400m) on the undercard.

The four-year-old mare is bidding to return to winning form. She has not won in five starts since her Guineas triumph, but her most recent run for second at Taupo was encouraging.

However, her camp’s confidence was dealt a blow when the Written Tycoon mare came up with the outside gate in the 14-horse field and connections will be hoping to rely on Bosson’s magic to overcome that hurdle.

“The barrier draw is a shocker, but hopefully Opie can sort that out. He knows her really well from trackwork and throughout her career,” said Bergerson.

“At set weights and penalties, it suits her as a Group 1 winner and she can hopefully perform well and get a bit more confidence.

“It’s been so frustrating in the north with cancelled meetings, and we were then going to run in the (Listed) Legacy Lodge (1200m) before they changed the venue to Pukekohe.

“That’s right-handed, and we think she is a lot better going left-handed, so this is a good back-up option.” LOVERACING.NZ