First Stakes-Winner for Spill the Beans

Media Release - Saturday November 28

Promising three-year-old Tellall enhanced his credentials for some of the summer age group features when he registered his first victory at stakes level when taking out the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial 3YO (1500m) at Ellerslie to become the first stakes-winner for Aquis Farm's ill-fated stallion Spill the Beans.

Shooting for his third win in a row, the Tony Pike-trained gelding made light work of his 58.5kgs topweight as he produced a professional performance to down two of his well-supported female rivals in Helsinki and Fleetwood Maca.

Tellall and Michael McNab are out on their own at the finish of the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial 3YO. Photo Credit: Trish Dunell

Rider Michael McNab settled the Spill The Beans gelding on the tail of pacemaker Sweet Hunter before issuing a challenge at the top of the straight. Tellall quickly put a two-length break on the chasing pack and comfortably held that margin to the line to make it three wins from just four starts for owners John and Margaret Thompson.

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Pike was happy to see his charge extend his winning record as he looks towards bigger targets in the future.

“He looks pretty progressive and very professional so it’s onwards and upwards from here,” he said.

“He has good early speed and then can switch himself off so that takes a lot of luck out of the equation.

“He is quite deceptive in that he is a big, strong individual who gets down low in his galloping action so he can give the impression there is not that much to him.

“He handled the weight well and once he got to the front it was pretty much game over at that stage.”

Pike is mindful not to overtax Tellall who holds nominations for both the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) and the Gr.1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) later in the summer.

“I’ll see how he pulls up before we make any more plans for him as I do want to keep his races spaced,” he said.

“I think at this stage we will look at the Auckland Guineas (Gr.2, 1600m) at Ellerslie on New Year day and then go from there.

“He’s not really bred to get a Derby trip but it wouldn’t surprise me if he did as if they are going to run the mile and a half, they can do that as a three-year-old.”

Tellall is the best of three winners from Devil's Angel, a Danehill Dancer mare from the family of Group III winner Thames Court. He is the first stakes-winner for Snitzel's Group II winning son Spill the Beans, who died after  just four seasons at stud for Aquis in Queensland.

Spill the Beans is sadly no longer with us.

Pike had been expecting to line up exciting two-year-old prospect Khufu for his raceday debut earlier on the card but had to scratch him on race morning after he incurred a minor muscle injury on Friday.

“He just tweaked his hamstring yesterday so we treated him and trotted him up last night and he seemed okay but when we got him out this morning, he was still feeling it so we had to scratch,” he said.

“It’s only a minor but he can have a few days off before we get serious with him again.

“There’s a race for him on Boxing Day at Ellerslie so we will look ahead to that now.

“I’m not worried about it at all as he is a horse who will go places so taking our time with him now will pay off further down the track.” – NZ Racing Desk

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Race Result - Trevor Eagle Memorial 3yo LR 1500m

Ellerslie Track: Good(3) Time: 1:29.49
1
Tellall
- 3g Spill The Beans (AUS) x Devil's Angel (AUS) (Danehill Dancer (IRE))
Tnr: A W Pike Rdr: M J Mc Nab 58.5
Spill The Beans
2
1.5
Helsinki
- 3f Savabeel (AUS) x Rush (NZ) (O'Reilly (NZ))
Tnr: P & D Williams Rdr: D S Johnson 54
3
1.7
Fleetwood Maca
- 3f Rock 'n' Pop (AUS) x Macavelli Miss (AUS) (Vettori (IRE))
Tnr: M Moroney & P Gerard Rdr: T Yanagida 55.5
4
2.5
Edge Of Wonder
- 3g Tavistock (NZ) x Wonderworld (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: Team Rogerson Rdr: R T Elliot 57.5
5
2.7
Iffie Shows
- 3g Showcasing (GB) x Spiffy Iffie (NZ) (Iffraaj (GB))
Tnr: S D Cole Rdr: T N Harris 58
6
4.2
Il Affare
- 3f Dundeel (NZ) x Pennacchio (NZ) (Align (AUS))
Tnr: P & D Williams Rdr: A C Goindasamy 56.5
7
4.7
Tango Love
- 3f Showcasing (GB) x Baranski (NZ) (O'Reilly (NZ))
Tnr: Ms J K Mahoney Rdr: J J Fawcett 55.5
8
5.8
Grip
- 3c Exosphere (AUS) x Pentolite (NZ) (Pentire (GB))
Tnr: M Moroney & P Gerard Rdr: C K Ormsby 57.5
9
6.4
Sweet Hunter
- 3f Swiss Ace (AUS) x The Nightingale (NZ) (Stravinsky (USA))
Tnr: S Ritchie & C Murray Rdr: W F Pinn 55.5
10
6.8
Bonita Aurelia
- 3f Sweynesse (AUS) x Cassie May (NZ) (Red Clubs (IRE))
Tnr: M Baker & A Forsman Rdr: C J Grylls 55.5
11
7.2
Montre Moi
- 3c Showcasing (GB) x Next (GB) (In The Wings (GB))
Tnr: J Benner & H Wynyard Rdr: J K Riddell 57.5
12
7.3
Ember Attack
- 3g Jimmy Choux (NZ) x Dancing Embers (NZ) (Istidaad (USA))
Tnr: P P Mirabelli Rdr: T D Thornton 56
13
8.7
Bari
- 3g Proisir (AUS) x Destiny Cove (AUS) (Dubai Destination (USA))
Tnr: Ms M Falconer Rdr: A J Calder 57.5
14
10.5
Zendora
- 3f Medaglia D'Oro (USA) x Zenella (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: L R Noble Rdr: L G Innes 54.5
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