The Pencarrow brand was carried to victory in one of the South Island’s richest races when Toa Haka (NZ) (Iffraaj) took out the $350,000 TAB Southern Alps Challenge (1600m) at Riccarton on Saturday.

Toa Haka was bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds Ltd and offered in the Pencarrow draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2021, where he was bought by Greene Racing for $40,000. The gelding’s current owner Brendan Hewlett later bought him for just $1,800 on Gavelhouse.com in October of 2024.

From a 33-start career, Toa Haka has now recorded seven wins and 10 placings and has earned $363,925.

Saturday marked a career pinnacle for Toa Haka, who is a son of Pencarrow’s homebred Group Two Travis Stakes (2000m) and Group Three Cuddle Stakes (1600m) winner Rasa Lila (NZ) (Darci Brahma).

Ridden by apprentice jockey Amber Riddell, Toa Haka went forward and dominated the race from the front. They lifted the tempo coming down the side of the track and rounded the home turn two lengths clear of their nearest rival.

The chasers gave their all to try to reel him in down the straight, led by the well-performed Sir Albert (NZ) (Savabeel), but Toa Haka dug in and clung on. He refused to surrender his advantage, and when he reached the finish line, he was still in front by a long head.

The time was 1:34.58, which was significantly faster than the two previous runnings of this lucrative race. Third Decree (NZ) (War Decree) won in 1:35.94 last year, while Matscot (NZ) (Haradasun) took out the inaugural running in 1:38.62.

“What a great result,” trainer David Walsh said. “He is such a genuine horse.

“He was quite immature when I got him and has just got stronger over time. He is very game, and the best part about him is he gives it his all and knows where the finish line is.

“The plan today wasn’t to lead, but I always say to my jockeys that if no one else wants the front, don’t be afraid to go there – if you get beaten, it is my fault, not yours.

“Amber came back in and said that nobody really wanted to lead, and when he jumped so well, it seemed the right thing to do as he likes the track and is hard to get past when he is at his best.

“He has had three preps for us, and when he has won for us, he has won his next start as well, so when he is on, he is really on.”

Saturday’s Southern Alps Challenge was Toa Haka’s first start beyond 1400 metres.

“His dam was a very good mare who won up to 2000 metres at Group level, so I thought he would get a mile,” Walsh said. “He can relax during his races and he’s now got the maturity to cope with it.”

Toa Haka is the best-performed of four runners so far for Rasa Lila, who is also the dam of the four-year-old mare Sattriya (NZ) (Super Seth) – who boasts a win and two placings from five starts so far – and the highly promising placed two-year-old Truly Divine (NZ) (Home Affairs).

Rasa Lila herself won a total of seven races and over $288,000 in stakes, with her Travis Stakes and Cuddle Stakes victories sitting alongside placings in the Group One Windsor Park Plate (1600m) and Easter Handicap (1600m).

Rasa Lila’s two most recent matings have been to Satono Aladdin, producing a yearling colt and a weanling colt.