Te Akau Racing have continued their dominant run, securing their 12th New Zealand Trainers’ Premiership this season with a tally of 131 wins, 27 clear of nearest rival Stephen Marsh.
It’s the second season Sam Bergerson has trained alongside Mark Walker, and he was thrilled to keep his 100 percent premiership strike-rate intact.
“I am very fortunate in the fact I joined Mark in a time where the stable has been so strong, and we have got a fantastic team of staff, horses and owners,” Bergerson said.
“I have the privilege of being given the keys to the kingdom, so to speak. It has been an awesome and pretty surreal two years, and I pinch myself with how lucky I am to be in a position I am in.”
New Zealand’s leading stable experienced numerous highlights throughout the season, but the inaugural Champions Day at Ellerslie in March stood out for Bergerson, with the stable winning the inaugural running of the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) with Damask Rose, while stablemate Return To Conquer was victorious in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m).
“Champions Day was pretty special,” Bergerson said. “Damask Rose won the NZB Kiwi and we won two other races on the day, including with Return to Conquer. There was a bit of pressure around him, being a high-profile colt, and remaining unbeaten.
“I enjoyed Damask Rose more that day because the pressure was off, whereas it was more of a relief with Return To Conquer. To win the first running of the NZB Kiwi was a massive thrill, and the way she did it as well.”
The Karaka Millions was another massive meeting for the stable, who didn’t let the inclement weather rain on their parade, winning both the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m).
“Karaka Millions night was another big highlight, winning the two and three-year-old with La Dorada and Damask Rose,” Bergerson said. “It is a raceday we always target and it was pretty awesome, especially to win my first Karaka Millions 2YO.
“It is a testament to Dave (Ellis, Te Akau principal) for the record we have had in the race (Karaka Millions 2YO). We didn’t get it the year before when we ran into Velocious, who was a fantastic two-year-old. Damask Rose did us proud that year and to go one better this year with La Dorada was great.
“She is a tough, gritty filly who was tough enough to keep going after a setback heading into Ellerslie, and then to press on to Manawatu (for the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, 1400m) and to win that was pretty cool. It was a really big buzz for everyone.”
The stable also secured their first South Island Trainers’ Premiership, with their Riccarton Park barn winning 45 races, which was instrumental in helping the stable take out the National Premiership.
“We are very fortunate that we have got Hunter (Durrant, Riccarton assistant trainer) and a fantastic group of staff down there,” Bergerson said. “I can’t speak highly enough of Hunter and how much he does for us.
“It was a big thrill to win that (South Island Trainers’ Premiership) as well.”
While Te Akau continued their dominance in New Zealand this season, they were also pleased with how things went across the Tasman with their Cranbourne barn, which has recently welcomed the addition of Damask Rose, Return To Conquer and La Dorada.
“We didn’t have the Autumn we would have liked but we had a really strong spring,” Bergerson said. “Life after Imperatriz is always going to be tough, but there are a couple of really exciting unraced horses and a good group of rising two and three-year-olds.
“La Dorada has gone over there and is going to take on some of those big guns, the same with Return To Conquer. Damask Rose is kicking off her Golden Eagle (A$10 million, 1500m) campaign in the Cockram (Gr.3, 1200m) at the end of August, which is coming around really quickly.
“Hopefully we can foot it over there, it’s not easy, the level of competition is so tough. But we think we have a nice group heading into the spring, and hopefully they can continue that success.”
Back on home soil, the stable is looking forward to the return of Champion Jockey Opie Bosson on raceday after he announced his return from retirement earlier this month.
“People see what he does on raceday, but they don’t see the work behind the scenes in terms of getting his weight down but especially for me the help he provides through feedback at trackwork,” Bergerson said.
“He has been riding trackwork every day and his feedback and understanding of the horse is massive in terms of placing them. He is a massive part of the team, and he does such a fantastic job.
“It will be great to see him back raceday. I am really excited for him and he is rearing to go. I am hoping we can have a bit of luck and a bit more success.”
Bosson will have his first rides back at Awapuni’s Synthetic meeting on Sunday, with Colonel Warden in the Checkhome Building Inspections 1400 and Stonybreck in the $100,000 JAPAC Homes Polytrack Championship (1400m).
“Colonel Warden was a bit disappointing last time, but he won really well on the same course and distance two starts back,” Bergerson said. “We thought we would follow the same formula and he gives Opie a good look at the track before that Special Conditions Final.
“I think Stonybreck gets in well. We thought he would have to lug 62kg, but he gets in at 59kg. Just the draw (13) makes it very difficult, so we will certainly need a special run from Opie in his second ride back. If he gets the right run, we think he is a very strong winning chance.”
Looking ahead to the new term, Bergerson is excited by the stable’s large group of rising two-year-olds, with Ellis having purchased 75 yearlings throughout Australasia this year.
“Dave has bought a lot of lovely yearlings that we are really excited about,” Bergerson said.
“What Dave does every year is incredible and how hard he and Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) work to purchase and do the background work at the sales. The majority of them are bought on spec and having to then syndicate them all is so much work.
“Mark and I are fortunate to be able to train some of the top echelon of Australasian bloodstock, and you walk down the barn each morning, have a good look around and pinch yourself with the firepower that you have got in the stable.”
Bergerson is also excited about the stable’s crop of rising three-year-olds, headlined by Hostility, who was purchased by Ellis out of Kiltannon Stable’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale last year for $1.65 million.
He has finished runner-up in both of his starts to date, including behind stablemate La Dorada in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), and Bergerson is hopeful of a big spring with the son of I Am Invincible.
“You have got a couple of higher profile ones heading into their three-year-old season, like Hostility, who is the main three-year-old seed at the moment, and I am really excited to see what he can do,” Bergerson said.
“We always thought that he would be better at three, but what he did at two he has done on natural ability.
“He has grown into himself a bit more and he seems to be coming up really well. I am excited to see what he can do this year and hopefully he can go from strength-to-strength and foot it in those good three-year-old races and we can get him down to the 2000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m).”