Te Akau Purchase White Filly

Media Release - Wednesday November 22
Te Akau principal David Ellis had his eye in at Karaka on Wednesday.

Known for his penchant of winking his bids to the spotters, he enjoyed a near perfect strike rate during the opening session of New Zealand Bloodstock's Ready to Run Sale with nine two-year-old purchases.

"We missed one, but we bought a stunning line up of future racehorses," Ellis said. "There was a terrific international buying bench that New Zealand Bloodstock assembled and the competition was very fierce.

"We have bought horses for our New Zealand stable and for the Singapore stable."

Ellis' top-priced purchase was the Savabeel gelding out of the winning Montjeu mare La Belle Epoque, secured from Lyndhurst Farm's draft for $350,000.

"When the Te Akau team of Jamie Richards, Mark Walker and myself first looked at him we absolutely fell in love with him," Ellis said.

Reliable Man filly from Keenly"He's a stunning staying horse in the making and we can see him running in a New Zealand Derby."

His highest-priced filly was a daughter of Reliable Man and the Keeninsky mare Keenly, the winner of four races, bought out of Diamond Lodge's consignment for $180,000.

"She's the first white horse I've ever bought," Ellis said. "We've had great success with chestnuts, bays and browns and now it will be a challenge for Jamie and Stephen (Autridge) to train this one."

Ellis outlaid more than $1 million on the opening day and will be back to do more business tomorrow, but before that work has to be done.

"None of the fillies have owners yet so we'll be on the phone tonight looking for them," he said. – NZ Racing Desk.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Hi Yo Sass Bomb Wins G3 on Sunday
Kim Reid bypassed a Group One in favour of Sunday’s Gr.3 Gee and Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m) at Trentham with Hi Yo Sass Bomb, a decision that paid dividends when the mare led from the outset to claim her third stakes success.
Wootton Bassett and Camelot 2YO Colts Win Final French Group Ones
The last French Group I races of their flat season were run on Sunday and Aidan O’Brien produced the winners of both the Group I Criterium International (1600m) and Group I Criterium de Saint Cloud (1800m).
Second Wootton Bassett Son Added to Coolmore Stallion Roster for 2026
Set to join Camille Pissarro as the second G1 winning son of Wootton Bassett on the stallion roster for Ireland in 2026 is Henri Matisse, who this time last year was about to claim his first G1 victory at the Breeders Cup meeting at Del Mar.
Undefeated 3YO King of Light Wins Listed Belgravia
Dan Morton's exciting three year old King Of Light (Earthlight) remains unbeaten in three starts, as the gelding graduated to stakes company with a scintillating first up victory in the Listed Belgravia Stakes on Cox Plate Day at Ascot.
Doubtland 2YO All On Red Smashes Them Again at Ascot
Widden Stud's Doubtland has a potential 2YO topliner in Perth in the shape of exciting WA colt All On Red, who remains undefeated from two starts after another comprehensive Ascot Saturday win.
Sires With Winners - Friday October 24
Here is the full list of 60 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sale Cup Winner Adds to Fastnet Rock Super Weekend
It’s been quite the weekend for the late great champion sire Fastnet Rock with a Cox Plate quinella on Saturday and then on Sunday he produced a new stakes-winner when seven year-old gelding El Rocko captured the $200,000 Listed Sale Cup (1600m).
One to Watch – Sha Tin – You Don’t See That Every Day!
The Mark Newnham stable has been on fire in Hong Kong since the start of the new season and the former Sydney trainer produced a super promising winner at Sha Tin on Sunday by Capitalist that did everything wrong and miraculously still won the race!
Sires With Winners - Saturday October 25
Here is the full list of 136 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Yes Yes Yes 3YO Shooting for G2 on Monday
Last year’s Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) set Savaglee up for Group One glory in Christchurch, and Matamata trainer Pam Gerard is hoping to follow a similar blueprint in 2025 with her Yes Yes Yes 3YO Affirmative Action..