Favoured fillies Velocious (Written Tycoon) and Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) have strengthened their status as headline acts for Saturday’s $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) after drawing neighbouring midfield gates for the 17th running of the lucrative juvenile feature.
In a spectacular barrier draw beamed on to Auckland’s Sky Tower on Wednesday night, Velocious landed gate seven and Bellatrix Star gate six. With the emergency Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) drawing the inside barrier, the favoured pair will both move in by one gate if there are no scratchings.
Velocious is trained by Stephen Marsh for syndicators Go Racing. The same combination teamed up to win this race in 2013 with Ruud Awakening (Bernardini). Go Racing paid $190,000 to buy Velocious from the draft of breeders Inglewood Stud at Karaka 2023, and she has had three starts for two stylish wins, a Group Two placing and $106,500 in stakes.
Bellatrix Star was offered by Phoenix Park at Karaka 2023, where she was bought for $80,000 by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis in partnership with Fortuna Racing. Ellis and Fortuna joined forces to win this race with the great Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) in 2017. That started an extraordinary streak of Karaka Millions-winning two-year-olds bought by Ellis at Karaka, which now stands at seven in succession – Melody Belle, Avantage (Fastnet Rock), Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel), Cool Aza Beel (NZ) (Savabeel), On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau), Dynastic (NZ) (Almanzor) and Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin).
Bellatrix Star has strong credentials to join that honour roll, recording two wins and two placings from four starts to date including an impressive last-start success in the Group Two Eclipse Stakes (1200m).
Bellatrix Star heads a five-strong team in this year’s race for Te Akau trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. They also have a potential X-factor colt in Cool ‘N’ Fast (NZ) (Savabeel), who is a full-brother to the 2020 Karaka Millions 2YO winner Cool Aza Beel and was a bold winner on Boxing Day in his only start to date. He has drawn gate four and will be ridden by five-time Karaka Millions 2YO winner Opie Bosson.
When Stars Align (NZ) (Zoustar) and Damask Rose also boast perfect one-from-one records and are drawn gates nine and one respectively. Te Akau’s other runner is Maracatu (NZ) (Ardrossan), whose three-start career has produced a win, a second and a fourth and who has drawn 11.
Beau Dazzler (NZ) (Ardrossan) was a Listed winner in Brisbane last month and will attempt to join Sister Havana (NZ) (General Nediym), Ockham’s Razor (NZ) (Any Suggestion) and Hardline (NZ) (Showcasing) as the fourth Australian-trained winner of this race. But he will need a slice of luck from gate 14.
If the emergency Damask Rose is scratched, the speedy Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) will start from the inside gate. Notably, gates one and 14 have produced the most winners in Karaka Millions 2YO history with three each (a success rate of 18.75%).
The TAB Karaka Millions 2YO will be run as Race 4 on the action-packed six-race programme at Ellerslie on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 6.04pm.
2024 Final Field:
| TOTAL STAKES | NUMBER | BARRIER DRAW | NAME BREEDING | TRAINER | JOCKEY | SALE PRICE | VENDOR PURCHASER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $147,150 | 1 | 14 | Beau Dazzler B. C Ardrossan x Pwerfect | Tony & Maddysen Sears | Robbie Dolan | Book 2 $85,000 | Mapperley Stud Ltd Paul Moroney B/stock / Catheryne Bruggeman / Sears Racing |
| $63,000 | 2 | 8 | So Naive Br. C U S Navy Flag x Altai Rose | B Wallace & G Cooksley | Joe Doyle | Book 2 $37,500 | Kilgravin Lodge Wallace T/breds |
| $56,650 | 3 | 15 | Poetic Champion Ch. G Super Seth x Regally Blonde | Tony Pike | Craig Grylls | Book 1 $80,000 | Haunui Farm |
| $46,000 | 4 | 4 | Cool ‘n’ Fast Br. C Savabeel x Cool ‘n’ Sassy | Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson | Opie Bosson | Book 1 $340,000 | Hallmark Stud DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) |
| $32,950 | 5 | 2 | Savaglee B. G Savabeel x Glee | M Moroney & P Gerard | Mark Zahra | Book 1 $400,000 | Waikato Stud Ltd The Oaks Stud |
| $24,700 | 6 | 11 | Maracatu B. G Ardrossan x Cortado | Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson | Blake Shinn | Book 1 $190,000 | Mapperley Stud Ltd DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) |
| $23,000 | 7 | 9 | When Stars Align B. C Zoustar x Shenandoah | Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson | Michael McNab | Book 1 $400,000 | Wentwood Grange DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) |
| $22,200 | 8 | 12 | Full Force B. G Cosmic Force x Jawhara | J Benner & H Wynyard | Ryan Elliot | Book 1 $135,000 | Kilgravin Lodge Benner Racing |
| $12,075 | 9 | 5 | Force of Law B. C War Decree x Back Date | M Moroney & P Gerard | Matthew Cameron | Book 2 $50,000 | Inglewood Stud Ballymore Stables / Paul Moroney B/stock / Catheryne Bruggeman |
| $167,700 | 10 | 6 | Bellatrix Star B. F Star Witness x Alana’s Party | Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson | Warren Kennedy | Book 1 $80,000 | Phoenix Park DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) / Fortuna Racing |
| $106,500 | 11 | 7 | Velocious Ch. F Written Tycoon x Parmalove | Stephen Marsh | James McDonald | Book 1 $190,000 | Inglewood Stud Go Racing |
| $19,760 | 12 | 13 | Sunrise B. F Charm Spirit x Daily at Dawn | John Bary | Wiremu Pinn | Book 2 $30,000 | Windsor Park Stud TFI / John Bary |
| $17,600 | 13 | 10 | Macaluso B. F Savabeel x Chiaretta | Andrew Forsman | Masa Hashizume | Book 1 $600,000 | Elsdon Park Forsman Racing / Andrew Williams B/stock / Bevan Smith B/stock |
| $13,300 | 14 | 3 | Hard Attack Br. F All Too Hard x Vitriolic Attack | Steven Cole | Sam Spratt | Book 1 $100,000 | Westbury Stud Steven Cole Racing |
| $10,360 | 15 (B1) | 1 | Damask Rose B. F Savabeel x Sombreuil | Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson | Book 1 $200,000 | Milan Park DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) |
