David Ellis inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame

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More than four decades after his first experience as a winning owner, David Ellis has been recognised with induction into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame.

Since that first success with Magnum (Sovereign Edition) at Paeroa in 1978, Ellis has been involved at all levels of racing as an administrator, breeder, buyer and his major footprint, as the founder of New Zealand’s most successful racehorse syndication model, Te Akau.

“I was in my early twenties when I won that race at Paeroa all those years ago, and I thought it was the biggest thrill you could have in life,” Ellis said this week as he reflected on his life in racing. “My trainer Bill Ford came with me into the winner’s room, but he had another horse in the next race that he had to saddle up and I ended up celebrating my first ever win by myself.

“That made me think there’s got to be a better way to do this, I realised that I’d rather celebrate together with other people, and that was the beginning of my idea to syndicate horses, bringing people together to enjoy the thrill of winning.”

Ellis was still racing horses under his own name when he won his first elite-level race, the 1986 Easter Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m), with the Ford-trained Cosmetique (Barcas), by which time his colours were becoming increasingly familiar.

“Early on Bill advised me that I should register colours that stood out, that everyone could see, so I thought a good strong colour would be tangerine. I couldn’t get the single colour so I added the blue stars for contrast.

“As the years have gone by, I think it would be fair to say the tangerine and blue have definitely become well recognised!”

Brand recognition for Ellis has come about by setting goals and surrounding himself with the right people – and horses – to achieve them. Mark Walker has been integral to that success. From the time he was employed by Ellis as an 18-year-old, to setting new benchmarks from his original platform at Te Akau’s Matamata training operation, adding further premierships in Singapore and having prepared an unprecedented 203 New Zealand winners in the 2022-23 season, to now being at the helm of a tri-stable operation that has expanded to Riccarton as well as a major Australian foothold at Cranbourne.

Another vital team member is Ellis’s wife Karyn, whose key role is managing day-to-day business matters, and in particular bringing together the many layers that make up Te Akau’s syndication model.

“There are so many people who without them, I couldn’t have achieved all this,” said Ellis. “Karyn runs the business now, which frees me up to run the farm and buy the horses. Mark and I have worked together over a long period of time. It’s been a fantastic relationship and he now heads a massive team, from his training partner Sam Bergerson, our assistant trainers Ben Gleeson, Nicole Shailer and Hunter Durrant, and our racing manager Reece Trumper, right through to all our staff, our vets and farriers, everybody who works so hard to achieve our goals.

“It’s quite incredible to think that when Captured By Love won the New Zealand 1,000 Guineas at Riccarton last month, that was the 98th Group 1 winner by horses that I’ve either bought, bred or managed under the Te Akau umbrella.”

As well as enjoying such a raft of success, Ellis has also immersed himself in racing administration, beginning as a steward with the Waikato Racing Club and covering the full spectrum through to the national body.

“I started at the Waikato Racing as a steward when Ken Brown was chairman and I went up to the committee under Herbie Dyke, eventually becoming chairman myself. During that time I was also chairman of the Waikato District Committee and served on the board of the New Zealand Racing Conference, then NZ Thoroughbred Racing, and NZ Thoroughbred Marketing.”

Various accolades acknowledging his input include the 2017 NZTR Outstanding Contribution to Racing Excellence and he was awarded the CNZM (Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit) on the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Royal Honours list for services to the thoroughbred industry.

Since being advised of his pending induction to the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame, which will become official at the induction dinner in May, Ellis has had cause to reflect on his latest accolade.

“Any award, whether you’re recognised by your peers or by a higher body, is very humbling and this is certainly no different,” he said. “It’s an absolute honour to think that I’m being acknowledged alongside people who I have admired massively over the years – people like my great late friend Colin Jillings, other hugely successful trainers like Dave O’Sullivan and Jim Gibbs, and industry icons such as Sir Patrick Hogan and Sir Peter Vela.

“As I keep reminding myself, what I’ve achieved, the recognition I’ve been accorded, none of that would have been possible without those people I’ve already mentioned and so many others – they’ve all made their own contribution.

“I just want to say a massive thank you to them all, whether they’ve worked for Te Akau over the years, or owners who have invested in our horses, those breeders who have produced so many wonderful performers and everyone who has been part of our success.”

Sourcing his next crop of potential stars is never far from the Ellis mindset, and right now that means scanning catalogues and inspecting drafts for the upcoming summer sales round.

“Along with my own team, I’ve also been very lucky to be able to seek the advice of people like Joe Walls and Marcus Corban as we do our inspections and sale selections. It’s always exciting, I love going round the farms then to the sales and bringing a new crop of young horses into our system.”

As some measure of that level of investment, in the past year Ellis has signed for 76 young horses at a total value in the region of $25 million.

“It takes a lot of courage to put your hand up and commit to that level, but it’s what we do, bring in long-standing owners as well as new ones and then set to work making their dreams come true.

“I’m so lucky to do for a living what is also my hobby and to have so many wonderful people supporting me. I’ve always set out to raise the bar and will continue to. By next year we’ll have 70 horses in training at our Cranbourne stable as well as maintaining our numbers in New Zealand.

“It’s incredible to think there are now 105 races worth $1 million or more in Australia – that’s an average of two per week – and it’s fantastic to see the advances we’ve made in New Zealand with the involvement of Entain.

“Stakes have virtually doubled in the past 18 months and with so many new races like the NZB Kiwi, Champions Day in March, major stakes increases across the board, right down to going to a midweek meeting and racing for $25,000 – all that was unheard of not that long ago.

“Now it’s important that NZTR, Entain and the TAB work together, along with every member of the industry, to make the most of the opportunity that we now have. That’s what I’ll be doing and so will everyone else I’m associated with – it’s what I’ve always done and will continue to do for the good of racing.”