A Million Reasons to Like the Lad

Media Release - Saturday December 8

Aotea Lad has the makings of a smart juvenile and a strong debut performance to win the Group 2 Anuka Smoker Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham has all but booked his passage to the lucrative Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie on January 26.

The Jamie Richards-trained son of Savabeel will derive plenty of benefit from the raceday experience after being only moderately into stride and showing signs of greenness over the concluding stages, yet his class meant the result was never in doubt.

Ridden by Opie Bosson, Aotea Lad had half a length to spare over Snitzel colt Killin, with Aretha also finishing well for third. (Photo: Race Images PN (Peter Rubery))


"Earlier on in the spring, he was very colty and the decision was made to geld him and since then he has turned into a racehorse. He has got it all in front of him," stable representative Paul Richards said.

"It was always the plan to ride him back, like he did at the trials, and just get a drag across the junction and try to get over them late.

"Obviously he is going to improve a lot from today.

"He will probably go into the Eclipse Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m) and then into the Karaka Million."

Te Akau Racing have won the past two editions of the Karaka Million with Avantage and Melody Belle and Aotea Lad adds to the stable's arsenal of talented two-year-olds that could tackle the race this season.

By Savabeel out of the Group One-placed juvenile Corsage, Aotea Lad was bought for $200,000 by Te Akau principal David Ellis at the Karaka Book 1 Yearling Sale earlier this year.

 

Winning rider Opie Bosson was full of praise for the gelding and said he rates right up there with the stable's leading two-year-olds, which includes last Saturday's impressive Ellerslie winner Probabeel.

"He got there in the last 50m and started looking at the big screen and the winning post and there was plenty more left in the tank," Bosson said.

"He showed a good turn of foot. When I really asked him and put the pressure on him, he went for me until he got there by himself and that is when greenness kicked in and he has just had a bit of a look around.

"He's only had two trials and still doesn't know what he's doing, so he is a pretty special little horse."

Woburn Farm will consign a Makfi half-sister to Aotea Lad to the 2019 NZB Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka.

NZ Racing Desk

Advertisment
More Reading...
Another Feature Win for La Crique
La Crique sprouted wings in the Pukekohe straight on Saturday to come from a near-hopeless position and win the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) in a photo finish.
Gringotts Continues Kiwi Winning Run in $1million The Gong
Kiwi bred Gringotts continued his coming-of-age campaign with a powerhouse front-running performance under 60kg to win Saturday’s Group III A$1 million The Illawarra Mercury Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange.
Better Than Ready's Port Lockroy Triumphs in G1 Railway Stakes
Interstate visitors have a poor winning record in the $1,500,000 Group 1 Swan Draught - Railway Stakes, but Port Lockroy played his part in squaring the ledger when choosing the perfect spot to end a run of bad luck in stakes races.
Kiwi Bred Comeback King Globe wins Cranbourne Cup
The super-talented Globe put a troubled 14 months behind him with a powerful all-the-way win in Saturday’s A$500,000 Listed Cranbourne Cup (1600m).
Savabeel Blueblood Wins G3 Desert Gold
A copybook ride by Opie Bosson paved the way for promising filly Showbeel to add a valuable black type success to her career record when she took out the first feature race at Trentham on Saturday, the Group III New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).
Storyville Downs the Colts in G2 WA Guineas
The WA Champion Fillies Stakes heroine Storyville earned a shot at the Group 1 Northerly Stakes after she gave the colts a start and beating in Saturday’s $500,000 Group II White Claw - WA Guineas (1600m) at Ascot.
Barnstorming Win by Headwall in the Warra
The super-consistent Headwall reaped a just reward in the $300,000 Group III Snap Print Solutions Wollongong The Warra (1000m) at Kembla Grange.
Xtravagant Gelding Nadal Brilliant in Meteorite
Ciaron Maher has a stranglehold on pop-up and slot races and was back in the winner's circle again after the inaugural running of the $1,000,000 The Ladbrokes Meteorite (1200m) at Cranbourne.
Wings Of Song Makes Stunning Return
A star of the carnivals in Tasmania and South Australia, Wings Of Song made a triumphant return from a 30-week break to capture Saturday’s Rosemont Stud Pendant (1400m) at Cranbourne.
Sires With Winners - Saturday November 23
Here is the full list of 117 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.