The $1 million Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) is less than two months away and Te Akau Racing is hoping to unveil a couple of key prospects in Sunday’s Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) at Ellerslie.
The first of their three-year-olds will be the lightly-tried Hakkinen, who comfortably put away a Rating 60 field as a maidener in his second raceday appearance last month.
Sam Bergerson, who trains the gelding in partnership with Mark Walker, indicated a staying future has always beckoned for the son of Savabeel.
“Running a maidener in a 60 is always a throw at the stumps, but it was a nice race for him on his home track,” he said.
“He’s a really progressive horse, a natural, clean-winded stayer who has trained on well since winning there. His work on Tuesday was very good.
“It gives him a look around Ellerslie with a view on getting to the Derby, we think it’s a soft enough race on paper and he certainly gets his chance. We think a lot of him.”
Joining him will be stablemate Class, who has finished in the first three in each of his four career starts, most recently a third-placed effort at Ellerslie to Willydoit and Group Three winner Tuxedo.
“We’re testing the distance a bit for him, we would love to get him to a Derby potentially if he was able to take the step-up to black-type company,” Bergerson said.
“I thought his run in the three-year-old mile there was really good, he stuck on gamely against a couple of handy ones. We think the step-up to 2100 will suit, he’s another horse that is very consistent and hasn’t missed the top three yet.
“We’re sure he’ll run well, and they are two really nice chances.”
While a Derby has alluded Te Akau in recent times, they have not been short of $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) winners, and they are hoping to boost this year’s contenders in the Trackside.co.nz 1200.
To Bravery Born won the first juvenile race of the season back in August, but since then, missed an important target in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m), which was won by impressive stablemate Return To Conquer.
“He was obviously very good on debut in the first two-year-old race of the year, then we had him all set to run at Pukekohe, but he twinged a shoulder muscle a day out so that was a little bit disappointing,” Bergerson said.
“We thought his Karaka Million hopes were over, but he bounced back quicker than we thought and we wanted to give him the chance. He looks like a very natural two-year-old, we would’ve loved to give him a trial, but the schedule didn’t work out that way, but he’s had a trip away from the stable and a gallop.
“We think we’ve got him fit enough to run a race there, we’d love to see him run well and put his hand up for the Karaka Millions.”
The son of Snitzel is currently 19th on the order of entry for the million-dollar feature, while Dare To Proisir will need a big performance in Sunday’s contest to get his opportunity on January 25.
“He had the debut run at Tauranga, he did a little bit wrong so we gave him a freshen-up and his trial at Pukekohe was very good,” Bergerson said.
“Following that trial, he certainly deserves his chance at the Karaka Millions as well, and we thought the race to do it would come here, getting a look at Ellerslie.
“It’s a bit of a throw at the stumps with him, but I thought off his trial, he certainly deserved it in an even-enough field.”
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