Te Akau Racing unshackled exciting filly Stage ‘N’ Screen (NZ) (Ace High) at Seymour on Sunday with a winning debut paving the way for some exciting spring targets.
Stage ‘N’ Screen trialled on three occasions on home soil before departing for Australia to prepare for her first race-day appearance, which came in the Go Seymour Maiden Plate (1200m), where she started $2.40 favourite.
Michael Dee utilised the filly’s inside barrier draw in the early stages, sitting on the speed at a moderate tempo. On straightening, Stage ‘N’ Screen found a solid turn of foot and lead all the way to the post with plenty left in store.
After an interrupted start to her racing career, Walker was pleased to see the daughter of Ace High deliver on her early promise.
“She’s been a work in progress, especially around the starting gates, and Julien Welsh and his team at Booralite Park have done a really good job building her confidence in that department,” Walker said.
“She showed plenty of ability when trialling in New Zealand, and we had her entered to start last month on the home course at Cranbourne, but a horse slipped over beside her which upset her and she was late scratched.
“I think she’s a very promising filly with untapped ability and it’s great for her to get a win on the board at her first start.”
Despite the initial hiccup, Stage ‘n’ Screen is now on a path to the Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) which has been shuffled later in the spring carnival in recent years and will be conducted at Caulfield on November 16
“Stage ‘n’ Screen is on a path towards the Thousand Guineas and she’ll either run in the Vanity Stakes (Gr. 3, 1400m) on Derby Day (2 November) at Flemington, or Melbourne Cup Day (5 November) in the Amanda Elliott Stakes (Listed, 1400m).”
Stage ‘N’ Screen was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $200,000 out of Kiltannon Stables’ draft at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sales, and she is a half-sister to Australian Group One performer Japanese Emperor.
The pair are out of the O’Reilly mare Inthespotlight, along with a filly by Satono Aladdin who fetched $900,000 at this year’s Book 1 Yearling Sale at Karaka to the bid of Guy Mulcaster and Chris Waller. In addition to Stage ‘N’ Screen, Mark Walker also trained Midnight Blue to win the Listed Seymour Cup (1600m) on Sunday, continuing a phenomenal run of form on Australian racecourses for Walker, with his last 11 runners resulting in seven winners, including Bellatrix Star in the Gr.2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.