Te Akau Racing flexed its muscles at Riccarton Park in the Listed Champagne S. on Saturday. Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson-trained runners filled the first and third positions with the smart Alabama Express gelding Discretion Rules putting the writing on the wall.
Discretion Rules, ridden by Niranjan S Parmar, defeated the Tony Pike-trained Ziggy Stardust (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) and the fellow tangerine colour-bearer Colonel Warden (Russian Revolution).
The son of Alabama Express was third on debut at Wingatui behind his unbeaten stablemate Nucleozor (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) and faced him twice again at Riccarton Park on both occasions finishing second, including in the Listed Welcome S.
From 12 runners, Alabama Express has eight individual winners of 10 races, including six stakes-performed juveniles in his first crop. Discretion Rules is the second foal from the unplaced Zoustar mare Miss Madonna. She is a half-sister to Miss Devine (Show A Heart), who was placed in the Listed Gold Edition Plate.
Miss Madonna has a yearling filly by Nicconi and was served by the G1 South Australian Derby-placed Dalasan.
Discretion Rules was a $120,000 purchase by Highline Thoroughbreds, Catheryne Bruggeman and Paul Moroney from the draft of Shadowbrook Bloodstock at the 2022 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale. He was reoffered by Highline Thoroughbreds at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale where David Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) paid NZ$165,000.
This article was written by Keely Mckitterick for TTR AusNZ.
