Pencarrow Success In Matamata Breeders Stakes


Pencarrow Stud is celebrating the win of well-bred filly Te Akau Coup in Saturday's Group 2 $120,000 Robin, Duke Of Bedford Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m) at Matamata.

Peter and Philip Vela of Pencarrow Stud bred Te Akau Coup (Thorn Park x Beyond The Sunset).

Te Akau Coup was bought for $150,000 at the Karaka yearling sales last year by Te Aaku Stud owner David Ellis on behalf of Christchurch owner Ray Coupland, who also owns Saturday's Group 2 St George Stakes winner Princess Coup.

Te Akau Coup's dam, Beyond The Sunset, was among a group of mares bought by the Velas in foal to champion sire Danehill.

Beyond The Sunset has also left another stakes winner, Don Garcia, who won the Listed Wellesley Stakes at Trentham and was a $1,050,000 yearling purchase.

A daughter of Group I Yorkshire Oaks second place getter Bineyah, Beyond the Sunset is a close relation to Champion American racehorse and sire Seattle Slew (by Bold Reasoning). She is also from the family of Group I Two Thousand Guineas winner and sire Lomond, dual Group II winner Seattle Dancer, Group II winner Desert Secret and Listed winner Argosy.

Te Akau Coup is trained at Matamata by Mark Walker who enjoyed a red-letter day as a trainer on Saturday with a two-year-old black type double at Matamata and the Group 2 Melbourne win with Princess Coup.

Te Akau Coup, at lucrative odds of 14-to-one, was one of the unknown quantities in today's field. She did win in easy fashion at her debut but it was against an inferior field at the Waipukurau meeting on January 11.

However, Matamata rider Jason Waddell didn't under-rate his mount's chances. ""When I won this race two years ago on Naturo she had only won a lower class race at her first start. Like Naturo this filly also drew barrier one and I knew I had to take full advantage of that," he said.

Waddell produced a daring ride by staying close to the inside fence on the home bend when most of the field mounted their runs out wider on the corurse.

Waddell and Te Akau Coup opened up a big gap over the opposition soon after straightenening up and withstood the late challenge of favourite Il Quello Veloce who closed to within three-quarters of a length at the finishing post.

Waddell picked up the mount mid-week on Te Akau Coup after fellow jockey Noel Harris opted to ride yesterday's runner-up instead.