Awapuni trainer Roydon Bergerson finished runner-up in the 2022 running of the $NZ1 million Karaka Millions 2YO with Wolverine and he is excited to have two bullets in the chamber to try and go one better in this year’s edition.
Wolverine was undefeated heading into the race three years ago, winning on debut at Otaki before she was sold to Australian Bloodstock, and she quickly repaid her new owners with victories in the Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) and Group 2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m), before she was upstaged in the Karaka Millions by Te Akau’s Dynastic.
The daughter of Tivaci had drawn barrier 12, and Bergerson has once again drawn unfavourably in this year’s edition with In The Air (11) and Too Sweet (15).
“It was pretty deflating seeing the draws come out, but it is a horse race and anything can happen,” Bergerson said.
“Wolverine drew 12, so we haven’t had much luck with draws at Ellerslie.”
Bergerson’s good friend Chris Rutten bought both juveniles at Karaka, with Too Sweet (Satono Aladdin) a $50,000 purchase out of Phoenix Park’s New Zealand Bloodstock Book 2 Yearling Sale draft, while In The Air (NZ) (Embellish) was purchased out of Wentwood Grange’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling & Broodmare Sale for $27,500.
“He (Rutten) is a gem at buying these horses,” Bergerson said. “He doesn’t pay much money for them, and they can get up and run early and end up being pretty good horses.”
Rutten’s Karaka Millions 2YO roll of honour includes 2014 winner Vespa, and he has collected minor placings with Touche (2013), Kingsman (2016), Yourdeel (2019), Avonallo (2021) and Wolverine (2022), while he won the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) with Scott Base in 2018.
Rutten looks to have another leading chance this year with Too Sweet, who made an instant impression when winning on debut over 900m at Trentham in October and backed that up with a runner-up performance at the Upper Hutt track before winning the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
The daughter of Satono Aladdin has remained in the north in the care of Bergerson’s son Sam, who shares in the ownership of the filly, and his training partner Mark Walker at Te Akau Racing’s Matamata stables.
Roydon Bergerson has joined his filly this week in the lead-up to Saturday’s race and he is pleased with her condition ahead of the rich feature.
“She has trained on super,” he said. “She has been up with Te Akau, and thanks to Sam and Mark for looking after her for the last three weeks.
“I spoke with Chris and Sam and we decided to leave her up here in the very capable hands of people who know how to win the Karaka Millions 2YO.
“It has been a great ride so far and it will be a great party if she can get over the line on Saturday.”
In The Air just made the cut for the Karaka Millions field, and Bergerson has been pleased with his progress, having galloped in company with his Group One performer Town Cryer earlier in the week.
“He galloped the reverse way at home with Town Cryer on Tuesday and galloped really well with the blinkers on, so we decided to have a crack,” Bergerson said.
“It’s not often that you get to run for $1 million. The owners have paid up to run in the race so we might as well do it.”
Bergerson will also be represented on Saturday by Town Cryer (NZ) (Tavistock) in the Group 2 Westbury Classic (1400m).
The seven-year-old daughter of Tavistock has pleased Bergerson since her placing in the Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) a fortnight ago, and his only concern is her wide draw of 11.
“We gave her a quiet week in the swimming pool, a little bit of trotting and cantering, and she has freshened up really nicely,” Bergerson said.
“She likes Ellerslie, she has got another rough draw but has got a really good jockey (Craig Williams). She is proven at Group level and she is coming into it in fine fettle.”
Meanwhile, Bergerson is looking forward to welcoming back Wolverine to his stable in the coming month.
The now five-year-old mare last raced for Bergerson when runner-up in the Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) before she continued her racing career in Australia.
She failed to add to her win tally while in Australia with Newcastle trainer Kris Lees, however, she did add a number of stakes placings to her record, including the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m), Listed Canberra Guineas (1400m) Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m), Listed Daybreak Lover (1400m), and Listed Princess Stakes (1615m).
She was subsequently offered at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Broodmare Sale where she was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis for $850,000.
Following six starts for Walker and Bergerson in New Zealand, the decision was made to send her back to where it all began in a bid to recapture some form this autumn.
“Te Akau and ourselves discussed that we would try and take her back to her old roots, give her a decent spell, and we will try and get her back to her best form,” Roydon Bergerson said.
“She is out at Chris Rutten’s pre-training at the moment and she will probably come back to me in about a month’s time.
“We will go through the autumn and hopefully get some black-type with her and then she will be up for sale as we are not breeders.”
