Lara Antipova continues unbeaten run

Te Akau Racing continued their golden run in the Gr.2 J Swap Contractors Ltd Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) on Saturday when recording their fifth consecutive victory in the race courtesy of Lara Antipova (Russian Revolution).

The daughter of Russian Revolution was impressive when winning on debut at Te Aroha in November for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, and once again in the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham a month later, and was well-supported by punters in her fresh-up run on Saturday, backed into a $1.20 favourite.

From her outside draw, Lara Antipova had a fair bit of speed inside her, but jockey Opie Bosson let his charge balance up and soon sent her forward to capture the lead from the 900m mark.

Te Encuentro (Frankel) and Hawea (Hellbent) loomed up alongside her rounding for home, but Bosson pushed the go button at the top of the straight and Lara Antipova quickly bounded away, improving her advantage with every stride, eventually running out a 3-1/4 length victor over Te Encuentro, with a further three-quarters of a length back to Hawea in third.

“She is a very special filly,” Bosson said. “She wasn’t 100 percent in the ground and she had a bit of a stumble turning in but that actually made her pick the bit up a bit more and she got up underneath me, she is pure class.

“She was a little bit fresh and a little bit keen early in the running, but with that run under her belt she is only going to improve.”

The Matamata Breeders’ Stakes has been a great springboard for previous stable winners, with Maven Belle (NZ) (Burgundy), Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) and La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) all going on to win at elite-level, and that’s the goal with Lara Antipova.

She will get that opportunity at her next start in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on Champions Day, which Te Akau won last year with Return To Conquer (Snitzel), who will join Waikato Stud’s stallion roster this coming breeding season.

“She is a very good filly,” Walker said. “The next port of call will be the Sistema and then all going well and she was still 100 percent, you would consider going over to Australia. We do think a lot of her.

“It is great for John and Jessica (Galvin) and the Fortuna team to have another nice one.”

Lara Antipova was purchased by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis, in conjunction with Fortuna Racing, for A$100,000 out of Vinery Stud’s 2025 Magic Millions Gold Cost Yearling Sale draft.

Her prominence extends the great run of success the two entities have shared over the last few years, which includes the likes of 14-time Group One winner Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) and Group One performer Bellatrix Star (Star Witness).

Lara Antipova has won all three of her career starts to date and has earned more than $240,000 in prizemoney. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

First stakes winner for Banquo

Waikato Stud stallion Banquo recorded his first stakes win as a sire on Saturday and fittingly achieved it with a son carrying the farm’s colours, on their home track for their private trainer Kris Shailer.

Bred by the Matamata farm, Justin Case (NZ) is out of Group Two-winning mare Do Ra Mi (NZ) (Savabeel), and is a half-brother to Group Three performer Hanger (NZ) (O’Reilly).

The two-year-old gelding was being prepared for last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale by Ohukia Lodge, but was withdrawn, and Waikato Stud, alongside Ohukia Lodge principal and part-owner Jamie Beatson, have benefited from that decision.

Following a runner-up effort on debut at Pukekohe in November, Shailer set a course for Saturday’s Gr.3 Fairview Matamata Slipper (1200m), a race he won with Alabama Gold (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) four years ago when training in partnership with Stephen Autridge.

Justin Case showcased his progression when winning over 1100m at Matamata last month, and Shailer was confident of another bold showing in his first tilt at stakes-level this weekend.

With a deluge of rain overnight, the field reduced to just four runners, with Justin Case jumping a $4.20 second elect behind Group Two winner Kinnaird (Home Affairs).

Justin Case launched out of the gates under jockey Samantha Collett and made a beeline to the front from his outside barrier.

The Te Akau Racing pair of Kinnaird and Out Of The Blue (NZ) (Tivaci) loomed ominously turning for home, but Justin Case kicked again and quickly opened up on his rivals, going on to score by 5-3/4 lengths over Out Of The Blue, with a further long neck back to King Of The Air (Acrobat) in third.

“He was very smart in what ended up a small field,” Collett said. “There was still a fair bit of quality there and he had to take that next step up from clearing maidens here.

“I am not convinced that the wet track is really ideal for him. He is still untapped and is an exciting horse. What impressed me the most is that he has come here on his home track and handled the occasion and put them away like he did.”

Shailer was rapt with the result, which extended his standout season to four wins from five starts.

“That’s awesome,” he said. “I am so stoked for the whole Waikato Stud team – Garry and Mark (Chittick) – and Jamie Beatson who owns half of him.

“This was the plan back in November, after he ran second at Counties we said we would put him away for a couple of weeks and give him a bit of a reset and target him for this race.

“I wasn’t too sure what he was going to be like on the really heavy ground. I really want to see him on top of the ground because I know he can run a bit of time, but that was dominant.

“He is a pretty laidback customer, he does everything on his own, he never works in company and has come to the races on his own, he is a cool horse.”

The Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on Champions Day now looms as an obvious target, but Shailer said he will let the dust settle before making any concrete plans.

“It (Sistema Stakes) is on the mind,” he said. “We will see how he comes through this and then make a plan.”

Banquo, a son of Written Tycoon, was a stakes winner on the track himself, winning the Listed Springtime Stakes (1400m) for trainer Danny O’Brien, and was also runner-up in the Gr.2 Bobby Lewis Quality (1200m), Gr.2 Autumn Stakes (1400m), and Listed All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m). LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Daring tactics secure second stakes win for My Lips Are Sealed

A heady front-running ride from Rory Hutchings helped underrated mare My Lips Are Sealed (NZ) (Ace High) bounce back to winning form in the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1400m) on her home track at Matamata on Saturday.

Heavy rain in the previous 24 hours had a major effect on proceedings as runners on the day were faced with a testing Heavy9 surface that had many struggling to make ground in the final stages of their races.

Hutchings took the bull by the horns to put the Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-prepared daughter of Ace High in front from barrier rise as they dictated affairs ahead of the well-fancied Mary Shan (NZ) (Almanzor), who sat on their heels throughout.

Although unsighted since finishing midfield at Ellerslie in November last year, My Lips Are Sealed was travelling powerfully turning for home and she never looked like stopping as she held out the late challenges of Our Jumala (NZ) (Zed), Mary Shan and Lux Libertas (NZ) (Almanzor) to claim her second victory at stakes level and the fifth of her career to date.

Bergerson admitted that while the team had been rueing the rain that had arrived on Friday, making track conditions tough for most of their runners, he was confident that if My Lips Are Sealed was near her best, she would tough to beat.

“She was the one of our team in on the day that I felt would really handle the underfoot conditions,” Bergerson said.

“She put in a sparkling effort 12 months ago when running third behind Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) in this race and I just thought if she was back to somewhere near her best she would be a good chance.

“She had been disappointing in the Spring and we were wondering if she was telling us it might be the right time to become a mum, but she freshened up nicely and she showed her true class today.”

Bergerson was quick to commend the ride by Hutchings who took the initiative to put the mare in front which hadn’t been the pre-race plan.

“We had a good chat with Rory before the race and he said he would probably ride her two or three pairs back and then make a run,” he said.

“He (Hutchings) said she jumped so well and was so keen he decided to go forward and put the pressure on and that paid dividends as she never looked like getting caught.

“As long as she gets through the race well we might look at the Cuddle Stakes (Gr.3, 1600m) at Trentham for her next, but we won’t make those sort of decisions until we have had a chance to see how she pulls up.”

Co-bred by Rich Hill Stud, who offered her in Book 1 at Karaka in 2022, the mare was purchased by Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis for $160,000.

Raced by the Te Akau Not A Word Racing Partnership she has now had 22 starts for five wins, four placings and earned $264,710 in stakes. - LOVERACING.NZ NZ News Desk

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