What You Wish For Completes Big Treble For Te Akau

Breednet - Saturday February 15

Matamata’s biggest day of the year was completely dominated by Te Akau Racing, who won three of the four black-type features on Saturday afternoon.

What You Wish For winning the Listed Kaimai Stakes (2000m) at Matamata on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

What You Wish For’s hard-fought victory in the Listed Matamata Veterinary Services Kaimai Stakes (2000m) completed a big treble for the tangerine army and trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. They had previously filled the trifecta in the Gr.3 Fairview Matamata Slipper (1200m) with Return To Conquer, He Who Dares and To Bravery Born, then saddled La Dorada, Born To Be Royal and Marokopa Falls to finish first, third and fourth in the Gr.2 J Swap Contractors Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). The all-conquering stable also picked up a win on the undercard with Balance Of Power in the Gavelhouse (2000m).

The only Matamata feature to elude the Te Akau team on Saturday was the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1400m), where My Lips Are Sealed carried their colours into third behind Legarto and Acquarello.

“It’s been a great day,” Walker said. “It’s our home-track meeting and it’s always special. Now everyone who comes down to clock their horses has to go past the tangerine on the statue!

Advertisement

“But the locals always come out in big numbers to support this day, and Graeme Styles and his team have presented an outstanding track today. It’s been fantastic.”

While Te Akau’s two-year-old victories came with red-hot favourites at $1.20 and $1.80 respectively, What You Wish For jumped as a $7 chance in an even-looking Kaimai Stakes line-up.

The Embellish gelding had shown bright promise earlier in his career, winning as an autumn two-year-old and finishing third and sixth respectively in last year’s Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) and Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).

What You Wish For collected two wins from his first three starts this season, then finished ninth in the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m), eighth in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) and sixth in the Listed Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m).

The step up to 2000m on Saturday brought What You Wish For into his element. He jumped smartly for jockey Craig Grylls and was prominently placed throughout, settling in third or fourth in a muddling race that saw multiple lead changes.

Grylls presented What You Wish For on the outside of the leaders at the home turn, and he lengthened stride and soon reeled them in.

The challenge came from last-start Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) winner Wolfgang, who quickened well under his 59kg topweight and drew up alongside him. What You Wish For rose to meet his challenge, edging back in front and winning by a long head. The third-placed Nigella Lane finished just under two lengths behind the first pair.

“He hasn’t been beginning that great in his recent runs,” Grylls said. “The plan was to be midfield, but this time he absolutely flew out of the gates. I took the opportunity to come across and get into the trail.

“It was a real slack tempo. He was on the steel all the way. Once he was presented in the straight, he travelled up really strongly.

“He was probably aided by the second horse, because once he came up alongside him, it made him find more and more. It was a great run.”

What You Wish For was offered by breeders Cambridge Stud in Book 1 of Karaka 2022, where David Ellis bought him for $60,000. He is a son of Cambridge Stud stallion Embellish, who himself was an Ellis purchase at Karaka and won the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in the Te Akau colours.

What You Wish For has had 17 starts for four wins, six placings and $207,890 in stakes.

“He’s always promised a lot,” Walker said. “We actually sprinted him up over 400m this morning, which got him thinking a little bit. You wouldn’t want to play cards with this horse, but it was good to get the win today.

“With the stock of Embellish, I think you’ve just got to have a little bit of patience with them. He’s an under-rated sire. If you’re patient and you take your time with them and nurse them along, they can be very good four-year-olds and five-year-olds.”

By Richard Edmunds, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment

Race Result - Matamata Veterinary Services Kaimai Stakes LR 2000m

Matamata Track: Good(4) Time: 2:07.85
1
What You Wish For
- 4h Embellish (NZ) x Grand Wish (AUS) (Smart Missile (AUS))
Tnr: Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Rdr: C J Grylls 53
NZB Karaka Book 1 $60,000
Seller: Cambridge Stud
Buyer: Mr DC Ellis
2
0.2
Wolfgang
- 6g Puccini (NZ) x Navy Beach (NZ) (Darci Brahma (NZ))
Tnr: Peter & Shaun Mckay Rdr: Joe Doyle 59
3
2
Nigella Lane
- 5m Niagara (AUS) x Casabella Lane (NZ) (Volksraad (GB))
Tnr: R R Manning Rdr: K A Myers 53
4
2.5
Outovstock
- 4g Tavistock (NZ) x Orphea (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: C K Ormsby Rdr: V A Colgan 53.5
5
3.3
Loch In Ora
- 5m Pierro (AUS) x Irish Dream (NZ) (Savabeel (AUS))
Tnr: S A Sharrock Rdr: L Sutherland 53
6
3.7
Myla
- 7m Swiss Ace (AUS) x Augusta National (NZ) (O'reilly (NZ))
Tnr: M & K Murdoch Rdr: J J Fawcett 53
7
4
Terra Mitica
- 6m Ulysses (IRE) x Mississippi Delta (USA) (Giant's Causeway (USA))
Tnr: L R Noble Rdr: W B Kennedy 54
8
5.2
Trust in You
- 6g Sweynesse (AUS) x Shinko Bay (NZ) (Shinko King (IRE))
Tnr: B Wallace & G Cooksley Rdr: M J Mc Nab 56.5
9
5.5
Lingjun Xiongfeng
- 6h The Factor (USA) x Harvest Start (AUS) (Sebring (AUS))
Tnr: Ms P Gerard Rdr: G Rooke 53.5
10
5.5
Sassy Lass
- 4m Staphanos (JPN) x Artic Breeze (NZ) (Keeper (AUS))
Tnr: L O'sullivan & A Scott Rdr: Harry Grace 53
11
6
Doddle
- 5m Dundeel (NZ) x Into The Groove (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: S B Marsh Rdr: T L Newman 53
More Reading...
So You Think 3YO Wins $100,000 Inglis Xtra Bonus
Good placement from the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable for progressive three year-old So You Think gelding Aloysius, who cast off maiden status at Hawkesbury on Thursday in a race that featured a lucrative Inglis Xtra maiden bonus.
Third Winner for Peltzer
Twin Hills Stud’s young sire Peltzer added a third winner to his tally with a debut victory at Canberra on Friday for the well named gelding I Show Speed.
Breeding To Win – Crystal Ball – New Season 3YOs to Follow
Analysis of the G1 winning 3YO’s for this season has made us realise how many horses on this list took giant strides from two to three, so we are looking into the crystal ball to find some juveniles we believe could end next season as G1 performers if not G1 winners.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Super Seth has had three G1 winners in Australia this season and John O’Shea and Tom Charlton have trained two of them, so when they produce a lightly raced maiden winner by this exciting young sire we want to know more.
2026 Golden Slipper Entries – Sortable, Sale Mail – Find Out More
The new season is nearly upon us and that means all over the country a new crop of rising two year-olds are taking baby steps in the best stables in the land with the Australian Turf Club announcing this week they had received 1927 entries for the 2026 Golden Slipper, so who is in the race?
Sires With Winners - Friday July 4
Here is the full list of 38 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
One to Watch – Ballarat
Synthetic track meetings at Ballarat can throw up some misleading form, but a debut winner from the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable that started in the red and won by nine lengths is probably worth a closer look.
Sires With Winners - Thursday July 3
Here is the full list of 27 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
There were six heats for juveniles at Rosehill on Friday morning and the winners include unraced youngsters by Cool Aza Beel and I Am Invincible, plus a Farnan colt that tried his luck in Group races in the autumn and was far from disgraced.
High-flying Pencarrow Stud offers well-bred mares in Online Breeding Stock Sale
The 2024-25 season has been one of the best ever for Pencarrow Stud, and some of the renowned bloodlines that have underpinned that success are now available for purchase in the 2025 National Online Breeding Stock Sale on Gavelhouse Plus.