Tavistock's Tutukaka to Target the Victoria Derby

Mark Smith - Saturday June 26

Melody Belle's half-brother Tutukaka will target the Victoria Derby in the spring after breaking his maiden with little more than a working gallop in Saturday's Listed Tattersall's Life Member Stakes (1830m) at Eagle Farm.

Placed at his first three starts, the Tavistock gelding was reunited with Michael Cahill after James McDonald, who was forced to return to Sydney due to Covid restrictions.

Advertisement

A race traditionally run at 1400m when most recently known as the Winning Edge Stakes, the Tattersall's Life Member Stakes drew a disappointing acceptance of five starters.

Settling outside the leader Calpurnia, Tutukaka was never out of second gear to defeat the Maurice (JPN), gelding Balmaurice by four lengths with a further three and a quarter-length back to the Wolf Cry gelding General Wolffe in third.

Runner-up at his first two starts at Hastings and the Sunshine Coast, Tutukaka came to the race off a third in the Listed The Phoenix at Eagle Farm, won by Volcanic Rock.  

The half-brother to 14-time Group One winner Melody Belle was purchased by his trainer Tony Pike for $250,000 out of Haunui Farm draft at the 2020 NZB Yearling Sale at Karaka.

Tutukaka a $250,000 Karaka yearling

Stable representative Chris McNab said they went to the race with a plan to ride Tutukaka like the best horse in the race.

"He relaxed beautifully. I said to Michael before the race that Tony rang me to say to take bad luck out of the equation and race outside the leader," McNab said.

"This is the race he came here for, so we couldn't be happier.

"He will fly him back home on Tuesday week.

"Tony doesn't miss anything. He had this race in mind, then head to Melbourne, so we are on track."

Tutukaka becomes the third winner from five to race out of the Iffraaj mare Meleka Belle a descendent of New Zealand's prolific "Belle" family.

The Written Tycoon Syndicate purchased her record-breaking daughter Melody Belle for $2,600,000 at the recent National broodmare Sale.

Bred and raced by Marie Leicester, Meleka Belle was the 15th and final named foal from the Sir Tristram mare Empress Belle.

Meleka Belle has a yearling filly by Snitzel named My Annie Belle and was covered by Pierro last spring.

Tutukaka becomes the 31st stakes-winner for Cambridge Stud's deceased Tavistock, who has two Victoria Derby winners on the honour roll, the 2015 winner Tarzino and last year's hero Johnny Get Angry.

Advertisment

Race Result - Tattersall's Life Member Stks LR 1830m

Eagle Farm Track: Good(4) Time: 1:57.53
1
Tutukaka
- 2g Tavistock (NZ) x Meleka Belle (NZ) (Iffraaj (GB))
Tnr: A W Pike Rdr: M Cahill 57
2
4.0
Balmaurice
- 2g Maurice (JPN) x Bal Du Siecle (GB) (Danehill Dancer (IRE))
Tnr: R G Lipp Rdr: Ben Thompson 57
3
7.3
General Wolffe
- 2g Wolf Cry (AUS) x Hypernova (NZ) (High Chaparral (IRE))
Tnr: R L Cameron Rdr: A Spinks 57
4
7.4
Kaytee Reinado
- 2g Real Impact (JPN) x Eternal Optimist (AUS) (Flying Spur (AUS))
Tnr: D Chujo Rdr: Noriyuki Masuda 57
5
11.7
Calpurnia
- 2f Holy Roman Emperor (IRE) x Sworntomylover (NZ) (Don Eduardo (NZ))
Tnr: J H Manzelmann Rdr: Ron Stewart 55
More Reading...
Merchant Navy 3YO Primed for Spring Stakes Campaign
Cody Cole is happy to play a waiting game with Landlock before confirming the three-year-old’s main goals for the season.
Melody Belle Half-Brother Tutukaka Wins Taupo Cup
Tony Pike will press on with increased confidence toward loftier goals with Tutukaka after the son of Tavistock returned to winning ways in fine style on Friday.
Well Bred Zousain Debut Winner
A full sister to Zousain’s Group III winning filly Drifting, Cheeky Contiki made a winning debut at Pakenham on Monday for the Lindsay Park Racing team.
Top Filly Beats Top Colt in G1 Prix Morny
The Group I Prix Morny (1200m) at Deauville overnight produced a mightly clash between unbeaten Starspangled banner colt Gstaad and unbeaten filly Venetian Sun with the filly prevailing, although Starspangledbanner got some consolation with a new G3 winning 2YO at Goodwood.
Commemorative Retired to Stud
Watching the progress of Godolphin horses as they start stepping our for their new trainers has been interesting to say the least and will get more so this weekend when we see Tom Kitten go around in the Group I MRC Memsie Stakes at Caulfield, but one horse we won’t be seeing again is Commemorative.
Narrow Miss for Hellbent Gelding in G2 Foxbridge
Lhasa proved he is more than a synthetic track specialist when he nearly caused an upset when finishing runner-up in Saturday’s Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa.
Was it that Unusual? Who is the Oldest?
There was a lot of attention in the media regarding the age of Australian Horse of the Year elect Via Sistina (IRE) when she returned to racing for a new campaign at Randwick last Saturday, but was it really that uncommon to see an eight year-old G1 winner?
Sires With Winners - Sunday August 24
Here is the full list of 67 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
First Southern Hemisphere foals for Paddington
A four-time Group I winner by champion French sire Siyouni, European superstar, PADDINGTON, has had his first Southern Hemisphere foals arrive on the ground at Windsor Park.
Spring Trial Watch – Hawkesbury
There was an interesting set of trials at Hawkesbury on Monday that featured heat winners including Golden Slipper winner Marhoona, Randwick Guineas winner Linebacker as well as the Waterhouse Bott stable Cups contenders Sir Delius (GB) and Vauban (FR), plus we may have seen an Everest horse.