Akuta Stamps Class in Effortless Group One Win
25 May 2021
Akuta (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) left no doubt about his status as one of New Zealand’s best juvenile male pacers with his powerful win in the $140,000 Group One Garrard’s Sires Stakes Series Final (1980m) at Addington on Friday night.
The win saw the Hayden Cullen trained pacer stamp his class yet again just a week after his brilliant victory in the $200,000 Listed NZB Standardbred Harness Million Two-Year-Old Colts and Geldings Final (1980m).
Now a Group One-winning star, Akuta was purchased by All Stars Racing Stables for $170,000 from Broadfield Lodge at NZB Standardbred’s 2020 Christchurch National Yearling Sale.
Remarkably, the two-year-old was barely asked for an effort in his brilliant win on Friday night.
Driver Natalie Rasmussen told trainer Hayden Cullen after the race she could have asked for more from the star two-year-old.
“He was really good last week and he had to be really good again tonight,” Cullen said.
“Nat could have let him go at the 400m, but she held him up a bit and she said he pretty much jogged it.”
Akuta had set himself up for a potential hat-trick of three of New Zealand’s most prestigious two-year-old features, starting the red-hot favourite for the Group One McMillan Equine Feeds Two-Year-Old Emerald (1609m) at next month’s Harness Jewels.
Cullen produced the Garrard’s Sires Stakes Series Final (1980m) quinella, with Cosmic Major (NZ) (Art Major) chasing his stablemate gamely in second.
Cosmic Major was a purchased by Phil and Glenys Kennard for $37,500 Breckon Farms at the 2020 Auckland National Yearling Sale.
The Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan trained Montana DJ (NZ) (Captaintreacherous) fought on strongly for third after setting the pace throughout.
Dean Shannon’s Montana Park purchased the colt for $170,000 from Jill Smolenski at the 2020 National Yearling Sale in Christchurch.
NZB Standardbred graduates dominated the Group One Garrard’s Sires Stakes Series Final by making up eight of 11 starters in the field and filling the first six placings.
Major Perry (NZ) (Art Major) took fourth ahead of fifth placed Franco Mac (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) and sixth placed My Ultimate Chevron (NZ) (Sweet Lou) in the super-six.
| Consignor | Broadfield Lodge |
| Purchaser | All Stars Racing Stables |
| Breeding | Bettor’s Delight x Adore To Our Dreams |
| Sale | 2020 Christchurch Yearling Sale, $170,000 |
| Bred by | P I Renwick, Mrs P M Renwick |