Group 1 winner Romancing The Moon catalogued on Gavelhouse Plus
Another of Te Akau Racing’s Group 1-winning mares is on the market with bidding now open for Romancing The Moon (El Roca) on Gavelhouse Plus, an auction which will come to a close at 7pm (NZ Time) on Tuesday.
Bought by Te Akau principal David Ellis for only $50,000 from Westbury Stud’s Book 1 draft at Karaka in 2021, the daughter of Westbury stallion El Roca (Fastnet Rock) proved another shrewd acquisition with the mare subsequently winning five of her 19 career starts in which she amassed over $300,000 in prize-money in her career, the highlight of which was an elite-level success in the Levin Classic (Gr 1, 1600m) at Trentham in 2023.
That victory came at the end of a stellar three-year-old campaign adorned with consistency as well as class, with Romancing The Moon boasting four wins and four placings from her 11 starts.
After breaking her maiden in a 3.5 length romp at Matamata in October of 2022, she ran into subsequent three-time Group 1 winner Legarto (Proisir) on more than one occasion, finishing runner-up to the Ken and Bev Kelso-trained mare in the Soliloquy Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) before a fine fourth in the New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) won by the daughter of Proisir (Choisir).
The Te Akau mare kept on an upward trajectory in 2023, running sixth in the Wellington Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m) before a second place finish in the Dunedin Guineas (Listed, 1400m). A commanding performance when claiming the NZB Insurance Stakes (Listed, 1400m) in March was followed up by that all-important Group 1 victory two weeks later, where she proved 1.5 lengths too good for stablemate and subsequent Tarzino Trophy (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Skew Whiff (Savabeel).
“Skew Whiff was one of the best fillies in the stable,” Te Akau principal David Ellis told ANZ Bloodstock News. “She [Romancing The Moon] showed real class in what was a superb three-year-old season.
“She was tough, she had a lot of durability. She’d certainly be in the top two or three three-year-old fillies we’ve had. She had a great bunch of owners and it’s been the thrill of a lifetime racing her.”
Ellis is the buyer or breeder of 39 individual Group 1 winners, and was not surprised by the track successes of Romancing The Moon after what he saw at the sales and at home at Te Akau Stud.
“I bought her off Gerry Harvey’s Westbury Farm for $50,000,” he said. “She just had a really good shoulder on her, a good head, nice deep girth and really strong hindquarters. She was just a beautiful type of filly with a good pedigree and has grown into a stunning individual.
“The moment we finished breaking her in we got a good feel for her – she had a lovely action. It was no surprise that she was one of the best racehorses that we’ve had.”
Romancing The Moon is the first foal out of El Hermano (Pins) mare Underthemoonlight, whose six wins were headlined by a triumph in the Foxbridge Plate (Gr 2, 1200m) and was placed in the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy.
“You only need to look at the record Gerry Harvey’s had with breeding – his operation is one of the best in the world,” said Ellis. “Her second dam is Midnight Dip, whose sire O’Reilly is one of the best broodmare sires in the southern hemisphere.”
Midnight Dip is also a half-sister to the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) placegetter Midnight Kiss (Groom Dancer), who went on to be an influential broodmare in the US, producing the Santa Anita Derby (Gr 1, 9f) winner Midnight Interlude (War Chant).
Te Akau is no stranger to offering top-class race mares at the Gavelhouse online sale, including the likes of New Zealand champion two-year-old Maven Belle (Burgundy), who sold for $905,000, while New Zealand Oaks winners Belle En Rouge (Burgundy) and Amarelinha (Savabeel) made $800,000 and $1.1 million respectively and Entriviere (Tavistock) realised $1.1 million.
The highest priced mare offered by Te Akau was the nine-time Group 1 heroine Avantage (Fastnet Rock). The daughter of Fastnet Rock (Danehill), fetched $4.1 million when she sold on Gavelhouse Plus to Coolmore’s Tom Magnier in 2021.
“We’ve had a lot of luck with the progeny of El Roca,” said Ellis. “We’ve got a few in the stable and they all show ability.”
El Roca, who also sired the 2020 Levin Classic winner Travelling Light, is having a fine year at the sales. Of the 21 of his progeny to be offered this year, 19 have been sold and the sire is enjoying both his highest sale average and aggregate to date at $61,739 and $1,173,045 respectively.
Bidding on Romancing The Moon is currently open with a starting bid of $20,000, and will close on September 24 at 7pm (NZT).