A trio of Te Akau Racing’s high-quality mares will head to the Gold Coast next month where they will be offered at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale ahead of commencing the next stage of their careers.
The trio comprise of Group One winners Captured By Love and Quintessa and Group Three winner My Lips Are Sealed, and they will be offered through Newgate’s consignment.
“They are mares with proven performance, quality pedigrees and the physical attributes we believe are so important when selecting future broodmares,” Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis said.
Five-year-old mare Quintessa was purchased by Ellis out of Wentwood Grange’s 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $170,000, and she went on to win six of her 22 starts, including the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) and Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m), and earned more than $1.1 million in prizemoney.
“Quintessa is a dual Group One-winning mare with a tremendous turn of foot and always displayed a very strong will to win,” Ellis said. “She was a high-class performer winning six races and over $1.1 million in stakes.
“There’s a lot of quality about her – she’s by Shamus Award and has a lot of her sire about her – strength, athleticism and toughness. Her Group One wins in the Levin Classic and this season’s Proisir Plate, particularly her sublime performance from last to first, really showcased her ability. She’s a genuine, tough mare who was a real competitor at the top level.”
It will be a full-circle moment for Captured By Love, who was purchased by Ellis out of Milburn Creek’s 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft for A$525,000.
The four-year-old daughter of Written Tycoon has gone on to win seven of her 19 starts for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, including the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), and earned more than $827,000 in prizemoney.
“Captured By Love is a magnificent, scopey Written Tycoon mare and a real standout physically – exactly the type you want to take into the breeding barn,” Ellis said.
“She showed tremendous tenacity and courage on the track, winning seven races including the Group One, and was a stakes winner from two through to five. She was also Group One placed as a juvenile in both the Sistema Stakes and Sires’ Produce Stakes, and her consistency at the highest level really highlights her quality.
“She’s a mare with a terrific race record, great constitution, and all the attributes and bloodlines to make a top-class broodmare.”
Rounding out Te Akau’s offering is My Lips Are Sealed, who Ellis purchased out of Rich Hill Stud’s 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $160,000.
She went on to win five of her 23 starts, including the Gr.3 Phar Lap Trophy (1600m) and February’s Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1600m), with her earnings surpassing $264,000.
“My Lips Are Sealed is a lovely mare and very typical of the High Chaparral sire line,” Ellis said. “She has great length, strength and presence, and all the makings of a quality broodmare.
“She was a dual stakes winner on the track and showed a great attitude and consistency throughout her racing career. She’s a mare we think will really appeal to breeders looking for that classic strength and soundness in a broodmare prospect.”
Magic Millions’ National Broodmare Sale will take place on May 26 and 27.
– LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
