Possible Derby Contender for Te Akau

Media Release - Friday October 4

Truth Or Dare’s performance in the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m) at Flemington on Saturday is set to give Te Akau Racing an indication of whether they have a Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) contender on their hands.

Truth Or Dare will contest the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m) at Flemington on Saturday.  Photo: Scott Barbour (Racing Photos)

The Vanbrugh gelding was a $120,000 purchase by David Ellis from the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale. His only two-year-old start produced a fourth placing in a 1200m race at Otaki in April, and he kicked off his three-year-old season with an eye-catching third behind Suit Yourself over 1200m at Te Rapa in August.

The Te Akau team saw enough in those performances to send Truth Or Dare across the Tasman to their Cranbourne stable, and that Australian mission got off to a perfect start when the chestnut won impressively over 1600m on September 19.

“There really was a lot of merit in that performance at Cranbourne,” trainer Mark Walker said. “He’d travelled across to Australia and was jumping straight from 1200 to the mile, but he handled everything we threw at him and won very well.

Advertisement

“With the big stride that he’s got, he gives us the impression that he’ll cope with a bit more distance as well. Hopefully he can prove that with another strong performance this weekend.

“He worked very well on Tuesday. Michael Dee rode him, and he doesn’t normally say a lot, so you take notice when he comments that a horse is going particularly well.

“Our plan is to work towards a race like the Derby, and this race on Saturday should give us an idea whether we should continue along that path.”

Truth Or Dare is currently rated a $13 chance in the TAB’s fixed-odds market for the Victoria Derby, which will be run at Flemington on November 2.

Truth Or Dare will be the only runner at Flemington on Saturday for Walker, with stablemate Quintessa having been scratched from the Gr.2 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m).

“She just had a bit of a sore foot, it’s nothing major,” Walker said. “We’ll regroup and look to run her in the Tristarc Stakes (Gr.2, 1400m) at Caulfield on the 19th.”

Back home, Walker and his New Zealand training partner Sam Bergerson will be represented by three runners at Tauranga on Saturday.

Two-year-old Dare To Proisir gets the afternoon underway with his raceday debut in the BOP Equine Vets Maiden 2YO (950m). He will be followed later in the card by promising four-year-old mare Mazzucato in the Epic Journeys USA & Canada Racing Extravaganza (1300m), plus last-start placegetter Charmrose in the Gartshore Construction Maiden (1400m).

“Dare To Proisir is quite an unassuming horse, but he did a good job in his trial,” Walker said. “Even though he’s from a staying family, he appears to have a bit of speed. We’re expecting him to run well.

“Mazzucato won very nicely first-up. She seems to have come up really well this time in. We’ll look to work her through the grades this season and potentially aim for some black type in the autumn.

“Charmrose is very highly strung and we had a few problems with her earlier on. She’s getting a bit more mature now and is improving all the time.” – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Antrim Coast to Fly Flag for The Oaks Stud
The well-renowned colours of The Oaks Stud will feature across two feature Trans-Tasman meetings this week, kicking off with Antrim Coast lining up in the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 5
Here is the full list of 145 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Magic Nick Strikes Again – Fastnet Rock x Galileo
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo nick has been on fire in Melbourne this spring producing Cox Plate winner Via Sistina (IRE) and leading Melbourne Cup contender Buckaroo (GB) and it struck again overnight in the UK with a brand new stakes-winner in Military Academy, who captured the Listed Floodlit Stakes (1m4f) at Kempton.
Sires With Winners - Monday November 4
Here is the full list of 21 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Coolmore Set Justify Fee for 2025
Coolmore have announced the US fee for Justify in 2025 with the undefeated Triple Crown winner priced at $US250,000 to head  their roster of 16 stallions at Ashford Stud in Kentucky.
More Stakes Success for Air Assault
Group I placed last season in the SA Derby, talented gelding Air Assault kept the winning run going for Victoria Derby winning trainer Andrew Gluyas when taking out the Listed SAJC John Letts Cup (1800m) at Morphettville on Melbourne Cup Day.
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
Kiwi Bred Grey Wins Subzero for OTI at Flemington
New Zealand-bred gelding Cloudland proved a handful for James McDonald at Flemington on Tuesday, but the champion jockey was in a forgiving mood after they had claimed top honours in the Subzero Handicap.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.