Stakes Goals for Expensive Exceed and Excel Colt

Media Release - Saturday October 19

Hot favourite Equinox dominated his age-group rivals despite testing track conditions in the Lowe Schollum Jones 3YO (1215m) at Rotorua on Saturday.

$750,000 Karaka purchase Equinox - image Trish DunnellTwice a winner during his two-year-old season, Equinox came into the race off the back of a 49-day break after finishing second to Catalyst in the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) at Hastings.

Wet weather and the resulting unsuitable tracks had delayed his raceday return with the team at Te Akau Racing keen to get a run into him before tackling a black-type feature at Te Rapa later this month.

“It was a lovely ride from Opie (Bosson),” Te Akau racing manager Libby Richards said.

“He’s a very professional horse and we weren’t sure if he would handle the track today, but he did it easily.

“We’ve had a pretty frustrating time with the weather and didn’t think he’d handle it at Matamata (last Saturday), so we scratched him, and he really needed to run today if he was any chance of getting to the Sarten.”

Purchased for $750,000 by David Ellis from the draft of Pencarrow Stud during the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale to become part of his three-horse Te Akau 2018 Colt Breeding Syndicate, the son of Exceed And Excel will now head to the Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa on October 28 before potentially tackling the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 9.

“I’m thrilled for my colts’ syndicate that I bought for that year,” Ellis said. “He’s won three out of six and I think he’s going to go on and do a lot more, yet. He’s strengthening up and maturing into a lovely colt. He’s got a good temperament and I can see him winning a lot more races.

“Opie said he didn’t really lengthen stride on the heavy track, but his track work throughout this campaign has been of a very high standard. So, we were very confident that he would run well but would have preferred to see him on a better track.

“Mark Walker trained the mother of Equinox, Our Ella Belle, and she was very unlucky not to win the 1000 Guineas at Riccarton and I knew she’d leave a really good horse.”

Advertisement

Amongst his priorities, Ellis said he had also started inspections ahead of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale of 2YOs on 20 & 21 November at Karaka.

“Our attentions have turned to the Ready to Run Sale, which is only four weeks away, and we’ve already started looking at the horses. We’ve had terrific success with horses from this sale, including Group One winners Gingernuts and Hall of Fame, in addition to Cox Plate (Gr.1, 2040m) hopeful Te Akau Shark, and we’re looking forward to buying more nice horses at a sale that is really proving itself.”

On footing rated Slow9 for the first race of the day, but downgraded afterwards to Heavy10, Equinox was sent forward to sit outside the leader by rider Opie Bosson, before powering clear in the run home to register a comfortable two-length victory.

“He travelled beautifully throughout,” Bosson said.

“He was probably travelling too well on the turn and pulled himself to the front and was just too good in the end.”

“He’s always shown quite a lot of ability and he’s a lovely colt.

“We were a little bit worried about the track conditions today and he just passed in those conditions as we were lucky to get first use of it.” NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment

Race Result - Lowe Schollum Jones 3yo 1215m

Arawa Park Track: Heavy(10) Time: 1:17.29
1
Equinox
- 3c Exceed And Excel (AUS) x Our Ella Belle (NZ) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: J W Richards Rdr: O P Bosson 58.5
2
2.0
Tears Of Jupiter
- 3f Zoustar (AUS) x Snow Blitz (AUS) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: P & D Williams Rdr: M T Coleman 54
3
4.5
Caithness Kid
- 3g Keeper (AUS) x Gina May (NZ) (Pentire (GB))
Tnr: Ms K D Nicholson Rdr: T Yanagida 55.5
4
4.8
Woodhall Road
- 3g Ekraar (USA) x Epsom (NZ) (King's Chapel (AUS))
Tnr: G F Brick Rdr: A C Goindasamy 54
5
8.6
Robrocks
- 3g Keeper (AUS) x Elleraad (NZ) (King's Chapel (AUS))
Tnr: Team Rogerson Rdr: R T Elliot 56
6
13.4
Green Hero
- 3g Rubick (AUS) x Niki Piki Milo (NZ) (Librettist (USA))
Tnr: Ms C Cameron Rdr: D A Mansour 57.5
More Reading...
Christophe Lemaire In Awe Of Record Setting Equinox
After beginning his year in May with a romp in the Group 1 Sheema Classic, Equinox (JPN) added the Group 1 Takarazuka Kinen at Hanshin three months later. The world’s highest-rated racehorse kept his record perfect for the year when defending his crown in Sunday’s G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo.
Sword of State 2YO Ready for Debut
A pair of promising youngsters are set to make their debut for Cambridge trainer Chad Ormsby at Avondale on Wednesday, but track conditions may scupper plans for one of them.
Pedigree Potential –NZB Ready to Run – Nicks that Click
A quality packed catalogue for the 2025 NZB Ready to Run Sale is now online and in the lead up to the sale we’ll go looking each week for some horses of interest that jump out on pedigree for various reasons.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday October 7
Here is the full list of 25 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
2025 G1 Caulfield Guineas Field and Barrier Draw
A full field plus emergencies have accepted for the $3million Group I MRC Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on Saturday with Golden Rose runners Wodeton, Autumn Boy, Nepotism and Rivellino all engaged.
Equinox in a Class of His Own in Japan Cup
Equinox (JPN) showed why he is rated the world’s best racehorse with an unforgettable performance in the 43rd running of the A$11,000,000 Group 1 Longines Japan Cup (2400m) at Tokyo on Sunday.
Gimcrack Winner Bred By Cornerstone
THE "BACKSLAPPING" in the backwaters of the Barossa on Saturday afternoon, paled into insignificance when compared to the celebrations of the connections of SHIKI that won on debut!
National Thoroughbred Week invites support through GoFundMe campaign
National Thoroughbred Week (NTW) is calling on the thoroughbred community and broader public to be part of history, with the launch of a GoFundMe campaign to help bring this inaugural celebration to life.
Wrote SW on Comeback Trail
Robbie Patterson had high Classic hopes for Read About It last season before his rising young star’s progress was halted by illness.
Briasa Boost as More Youngsters Impress on HIT Sale Eve
The timing couldn’t be better for a sale page's pedigree boost, with Briasa announcing himself as one of Australia’s most exciting sprinters following his dominant victory in Saturday’s $1 million Group Two Premiere Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.