First Magic 2YO Winner for Te Akau

Tara Madgwick - Wednesday October 8

David Ellis and Te Akau Racing spent over $5million on 17 yearlings at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale earlier this year and they unleashed their first winner from the group at Avondale on Wednesday. 

Stakes targets await promising juvenile With A Vengeance following his debut victory in the Tulloch Café 2YO (1000m) .

With A Vengeance winning on debut at Avondale on Wednesday.  Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

The son of Exceed And Excel had shown plenty of promise at the trials, winning both of his heats in the lead-up to his debut outing, and trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson were delighted to see him realise that potential on raceday.

With A Vengeance jumped well and was taken straight to the front by jockey Craig Grylls, who set the pace up front, and With A Vengeance proved too strong for his rivals in the concluding stages to win by a length over Sugar Lump.

“He was very professional, a lovely colt, and a beautiful type,” Grylls said. “He bounced away and put himself right there. He wanted to lay out around the home turn a bit but once he straightened up, he put them away quite nicely.

“He’s a really beautiful colt and has got a good action, so I think when he gets on top of the ground he’ll lengthen nicely too. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does in the future.”

Walker was pleased with what he saw and he was delighted the colt was able to score on debut for his connections.

Advertisement

“He’s been really well educated and it was good to see him win first-up,” Walker said. “He did everything right and at the 200m he shifted into another gear to win nicely. It was really pleasing to see and exciting for the owners to see him do that on debut.

“He’s got a great bunch of owners, and I really liked the way he put his ears back and attacked the line today.

“He wasn’t expensive for an Exceed And Exceed colt (purchased by Te Akau principal for A$240,000 on the Gold Coast), given he’s been a Champion Sire and incredible stallion worldwide.

“We’ll probably give him a little break now and head towards the Counties Challenge Stakes (Listed, 1100m) on 22 November at Pukekohe.”

With a Vengeance was a $240,000 Magic Millions purchase.

With a Vengeance was plucked from the Widden Stud draft and is the first winner for Eleusa, a winning half-sister by Medaglia D'Oro (USA) to stakes-winner Maternal from four time Group I winner Divine Madonna with the family also producing Group II winner Tentyris. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment

Race Result - Tulloch Café 2yo 1000m

Avondale Track: Heavy(9) Time: 1:01.96
1
With A Vengeance
- 2c Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Eleusa (AUS) (Medaglia D'oro (USA))
Tnr: Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Rdr: C J Grylls 57
MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale $240,000
Seller: Widden Stud, Widden Valley, NSW (As Agent)
Buyer: David Ellis (BAFNZ)/Te Akau Racing
2
1
Sugar Lump
- 2f Embellish (NZ) x Bonnie Sareeh (NZ) (Bachelor Duke (USA))
Tnr: M B Garrett Rdr: Joe Doyle 55
3
1.3
Urchella
- 2f Derryn (AUS) x Sea Urchin (AUS) (Dream Ahead (USA))
Tnr: K I Rae Rdr: Floor Moerman 53
4
4.6
Rupeni
- 2g Home Affairs (AUS) x Yolanda (AUS) (Shamus Award (AUS))
Tnr: S B Marsh Rdr: G Rooke 57
5
9.9
State Of Valour
- 2g Sword Of State (AUS) x Illadore (FR) (Lope De Vega (IRE))
Tnr: C K Ormsby Rdr: W B Kennedy 57
More Reading...
Wootton Bassett 3YO Impresses at Avondale
Promising three-year-old Kygo Star overcame a wide journey to come out on top in a tight finish in the Allspark Electrical Maiden 3YO (1400m) at Avondale on Wednesday.
All the Way Anders Winner for Myracehorse
The Myracehorse colours struck again at Doomben on Wednesday carried by progressive Anders filly Diversity, who broke her maiden in good style.
Metro Winner Adds to Yes Yes Yes Spring Surge
October is shaping as a great month for Gooree Stud’s new addition Yes Yes Yes with the 2019 Everest hero reeling off four winners in the past week including Maybe Moet, who saluted at Randwick on Wednesday.
Les Young Scholarship sets Miriam on track for industry leadership
Miriam Drinnan’s vision for a big, bold career in the Thoroughbred industry has just been turbo-charged thanks to the Les Young Scholarship, an award supported by the AgriFutures Thoroughbred Horses Program.
Two Highest Priced Yearlings in World This Year Highlight Tattersalls October Day 1
The opening day of Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale saw two colts realise 3,700,000 guineas and 3,600,000 guineas, both exceeding the highest price for a yearling sold anywhere in the world in 2025, and five seven-figure lots.
Written Tycoon’s Pictor Leads Home Waller Trifecta
Having made his debut back in June with a narrow second behind fellow Yulong owned Written Tycoon colt Grand Prairie, who three starts later won the Group 3 ATC Up And Coming Stakes, Chris Waller’s progressive Pictor appreciated the step to 1400m to score at just his third career start.
G1 King Charles Next for Pier
Kiwi Group One winner Pier will not feature in this year’s Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m), but he will still have the opportunity to run for a A$5 million stake back in Sydney.
Hot Lots Day 2 - Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1
The Tattersalls October Yearling Sale second session kicks off tonight our time and for those interested in the number one yearling sale in Europe we are taking a look at some of the yearlings tipped to top each day and they include the half-brother to a two time Aussie G1 winner and a colt from a mare bought in Australia for $2.3million.
Yulong Purchase into Enriched - Inglis October (Early) Sale
Three individual shares in the G2-winning entire Enriched sold for a combined $440,000 in a highly successful Inglis Digital October (Early) Online Sale today.
Sejardan Fits 2YO Speed Profile
There were three feature juvenile contests held at Flemington and Randwick last weekend and as usually is the case with such races, they were won by horses whose pedigrees suggested that good early form was on the cards.