Richards, Te Akau continue Karaka domination
Two-year-old feature goes to On The Bubbles, leading home a first four for the trainer, as Australia-bound Aegon sparkles
It takes a very rare training talent to win a $1 million race five years in a row, but young gun Jamie Richards yesterday landed his fifth Karaka Million 2YO (RL, 1200m) in succession as On The Bubbles (2 g Brazen Beau – More Bubbles by Sebring) led home a first four for the handler in New Zealand’s richest juvenile contest.
On The Bubbles, sporting the famous Te Akau tangerine and racing for a group that includes retired racecaller Bryan Martin, joined an illustrious list of Richards-trained Karaka Million 2YO winners. He followed in the footsteps of subsequent Group 1 winners Melody Belle (Commands), Avantage (Fastnet Rock), Probabeel (Savabeel) and Cool Aza Beel (Savabeel); between them, his four predecessors have won 20 Group 1s.
Richards, who won his first two Karaka Millions in partnership with Stephen Autridge before scoring in his own right the last three years, again proved yesterday that, at the age of 31, he represents the future of New Zealand racing at a time when domestic confidence in the industry is high.
Since the country’s black type program began again in earnest in September after a Covid-enforced shutdown, Richards has won 20 stakes races at home as well as two in Australia. That included three at Ellerslie yesterday, as Need I Say More (3 g No Nay Never – Bo Bardi by Fastnet Rock) took out the Almanzor Trophy (Gr 3, 1200m) and Entriviere (4 m Tavistock – Marcey’s Belt by Golan) claimed a first stakes win in the Concorde Handicap (Gr 3, 1200m).
“I have to say thank you to David and Karyn for buying these lovely horses, and scenes like this today are what racing’s all about,” Richards said. “There’s a great young group of owners involved in this horse, and this is a fantastic result for them.
“This is a big team effort, and I’m really proud of the whole team. All of our horses ran well today.”
Backed as though unbeatable despite jumping from the outside gate of 14, On The Bubbles claimed favouritism early yesterday before a late move saw him start as the $2.90 favourite ahead of Millefiori (Iffraaj) at $4.10.
It wasn’t all plain sailing from a wide gate though as Johnathan Parkes sought cover aboard On The Bubbles, taking his time on the two-year-old early. However, he risked being caught four-deep near the tail so, after 200 metres, the rider allowed his mount more rein and quickly whipped into a one-out, one-back position.
Pulled three-wide at the 500 metres, he looked to be set for a tangerine throwdown as Sneaky Shark (Capitalist) fought back to his inside and Sophisticardo (Burgundy) loomed large to his outside. At the 150 metres, though, he began to assert and he bounded clear late for a length and three-quarter triumph.
“I’m very grateful to the connections for entrusting me with the ride,” said Parkes, who took out his first Karaka Million. “He’s a super horse and he’s done really well.
“I got caught wide in the early stages, and I had to decide whether to go back or forward. I decided that I might as well keep rolling and go forward. He makes it easy with his cruising speed.
“His first win at Awapuni last month was impressive, and I thought he improved quite a lot when he came here and won a couple of weeks ago. He’s done that again today. It’s exciting.”
Fellow Te Akau representative Sneaky Shark held down second with Avonallo (Belardo), prepared by Richards for Chris Rutten and Little Avondale Stud, a further length away in third.
Sophisticardo finished fourth, a neck from Avonallo, but such was the Richards dominance that the closest any other trainer could get was Lisa Latta, whose fifth-placed Brazen Blue (Brazen Beau) was more than six lengths from the winner.
Millefiori, the fifth of Richards’ starters, weakened into eighth.
“It was a lovely ride by Johnathan on the winner,” Richards said. “After breaking from the outside gate, it was a big effort to get into that good spot, and a great performance from the horse.
“They all produced big performances, although perhaps Millefiori didn’t quite handle the quick back-up from Tauranga last week. She’ll make a lovely three-year-old in time.
“Sneaky Shark ran a great race for second, and Avonallo and Sophisticardo both fought on really well for those third and fourth placings.”
Te Akau syndicate manager Karyn Fenton-Ellis added: “I’ve always said that racing is an opportunity to make dreams into reality. A five-peat in the Karaka Million is beyond our wildest dreams.
“It’s amazing to add another win today, after winning this iconic race in all of the last four years, and also having Probabeel come back last year to become the first horse to ever complete the Karaka Million 2YO-Karaka Million 3YO Classic double.”
On The Bubbles, who is now unbeaten after three starts, was a AUD$60,000 (NZD$56,000) weanling at the 2019 Inglis Great Southern Sale, having been bred by Cathy Hains’ Burnewang North in Victoria. He was then on-sold to Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for $90,000 at last year’s Karaka Premier Yearling Sale.
He is the first foal out of More Bubbles (Sebring), a Geelong placegetter in 2017 who herself is a half-sister to Myer Classic (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Politeness (Street Sense). It is also the family of Group 2 winners Thackeray (At Talaq) and Parables (Lonhro), both who were Group 1-placed as well.
More Bubbles missed in 2019 but produced a colt by Impending (Lonhro) in September. However, she once again missed after being served by Frosted (Tapit) in November.
On The Bubbles took his prize-money to $574,800 with his win yesterday and he is likely to get the opportunity to build on that record in the Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) or the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
Three of Richards’ past four winners have run in one or both of those races, with the exception being Probabeel, who instead tackled the Magic Night Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) and the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) in Sydney.
Guineas, All-Star Mile on agenda for Aegon
New Zealand 2000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Aegon (3 g Sacred Falls – Toss Up by Zabeel) demonstrated both his brilliance and his tenacity yesterday to win the $1 million Karaka Million 3YO Classic (RL, 1600m) in a pulsating finish.
First-up since taking the 2000 Guineas in a photo over Bourbonaire (Darci Brahma) in November, the Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained Aegon sprinted swiftly to race through and challenge, seemingly making up a number of lengths in a couple of strides.
However, it was his ability to fend off favourite Amarelinha (Savabeel), the Eight Carat Classic (Gr 2, 1600m) winner who had been by his side for much of the contest, that brought the grandstand alive.
With his head victory, Aegon remained unbeaten from four starts and is now on the second line of betting for the Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) at $8, with only Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) ahead of him in the market.
He is also entered for the AUD$5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) and sat 29th of the 81 entries last night with 140 votes, with Crosshaven (Smart Missile) tenth having just reached 1,000 votes. The top ten on the leaderboard will gain a start in the race, with four wildcards to be determined by Racing Victoria.
He would be likely to gain a start regardless, but yesterday’s win may prompt a flurry of votes for the three-year-old.
“It’s a big thrill,” Baker said. “We’ve been very patient with this horse, and the staff at home have done a great job with him. It’s also a big achievement for my training partner Andrew, who selected him at the yearling sales.
“He’d never been tried right-handed before, but he was given a great ride from Leith Innes today and he’s delivered on a big stage.”
Forsman purchased Aegon for $150,000 as a yearling from the 2019 Karaka Premier Yearling Sale and shares ownership with the Zame Partnership, who have also had ATC Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Jon Snow (Iffraaj) and stakes victor Rhaegar (Pluck) among others.
“It’s a bit of a relief, and I’m glad it’s over,” Forsman said. “He’s a very good horse, and horses like him make trainers look good. It’s special to be racing a horse like this with such great people. It’s a dream.
“Leith is a big-race rider and did a brilliant job today, and it’s a great result. I’m very happy for the staff at home. We’ve had a bit of a lean time recently, we haven’t had the strength of team that we had a few seasons ago, so this is a real boost for them.”
Innes added: “It’s a great event and there’s nothing better than winning one of the million-dollar races on a horse like this. He’s very special. The turn of foot he showed in the straight was incredible and, when the filly came up beside him, he really fought in those last 50 metres.”
Waikato Stud’s Sacred Falls (O’Reilly) died in late 2019, with the stallion’s penultimate crop set for the Karaka sales ring this week. The four-time Group 1 winner has nine lots entered for Book 1 and the same number for Book 2.