Nucleonic is proving to be a broodmare gem for Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis, who shares in the ownership of the mare with Westonlea Bloodstock’s David and Matthew Peacocke.
The family have been put up in lights by the recent deeds of her daughter Qali Al Farrasha, with the Almanzor filly finishing runner-up in the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie earlier this month before running third in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham.
While there is plenty of excitement surrounding the three-year-old filly, her year younger full-brother Nucleozor is showing he has inherited the family talent when extending his undefeated streak to two at Riccarton on Saturday when taking out the Entain – NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1000m) at Riccarton on Saturday by 3-1/4 lengths.
“It was another really good win by Nucleozor,” said Mark Walker, who trains in partnership with Sam Bergerson. “He’s a horse with a lot of scope and size about him and obviously has plenty of natural ability.
“We expect he’ll only get better with time and age, so whatever he’s doing now is just a bonus. He has the makings of a lovely three-year-old.”
Nucleozor will now likely head to the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton next month ahead of the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) in May.
The family is entrenched at Te Akau Stud, with Ellis having raced their granddam Mexican Rose, who was a Champion 2YO & 3YO in Singapore, after impressing when winning two of her three starts in New Zealand.
“Greg Tomlinson (Nearco Stud) and I bought Mexican Rose,” Ellis said. “We sold two O’Reilly colts out of her for a good return and her weanling topped the sale in 2016.
“She was pretty smart, Nucleonic, and this is her third foal, so it’s great to get another promising horse like this early in her breeding career.
“The Peacocke family has had a lot of success with Te Akau, racing Avantage among others, and have a long family involvement in racing.
“Nucleozor is a really professional young horse with plenty of ability, and Hunter (Durrant, Riccarton Stable Foreman) and our team of staff at Riccarton are doing a great job with him and all the horse there.”
Later on the card, Beau Brummell secured a stable double when taking out the Selwyn District Council TAB Southern Alps Qualifier (1600m).
“It was very good win and positive ride by Ashvin (Goindasamy),” Walker said. “He’s really starting to come of age.
“He’s maturing nicely with age, like other three-year-olds we’ve got in the stable by Embellish, and they look like they’re going to continue improving.”
Bred by David Ellis and Karyn Fenton-Ellis, Beau Brummell is shared by the couple in ownership with Waikato Thoroughbred Racing board of directors Glenn Holmes and his wife Cathie Holmes.
Ellis purchased his sire Embellish as a yearling at Karaka, and the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner stands at Cambridge Stud, with his oldest progeny being three-year-olds. Held in high regard as a racehorse and future stallion by Ellis, his belief has been vindicated as the stable leads way with six individual winners by the young sire.
“He’s made a great start to his stallion career with winners in New Zealand and Australia, and this bloke (Beau Brummell) joins some really nice winners we’ve had by him in the stable,” Ellis said.
“He ran a good race for fourth in Southland Guineas after only winning his Maiden the week beforehand, and he displayed really good attributes to win.
“Talisker recorded a hat-trick of wins before finishing second in the 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) and What You Wish For and Glitzy Glory are another couple of promising winners by Embellish that we’ve got in the stable.
“His oldest are only three-year-olds and I think he’s doing a great job at stud.”
