Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Matamata’s biggest day of the year was completely dominated by Te Akau Racing, who won three of the four black-type features on Saturday afternoon.
What You Wish For’s (Embellish) hard-fought victory in the Listed Matamata Veterinary Services Kaimai Stakes (2000m) completed a big treble for the tangerine army and trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. They had previously filled the trifecta in the Gr.3 Fairview Matamata Slipper (1200m) with Return To Conquer, He Who Dares and To Bravery Born, then saddled La Dorada, Born To Be Royal and Marokopa Falls to finish first, third and fourth in the Gr.2 J Swap Contractors Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). The all-conquering stable also picked up a win on the undercard with Balance Of Power in the Gavelhouse (2000m).
The only Matamata feature to elude the Te Akau team on Saturday was the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1400m), where My Lips Are Sealed carried their colours into third behind Legarto and Acquarello.
“It’s been a great day,” Walker said. “It’s our home-track meeting and it’s always special. Now everyone who comes down to clock their horses has to go past the tangerine on the statue!
“But the locals always come out in big numbers to support this day, and Graeme Styles and his team have presented an outstanding track today. It’s been fantastic.”
While Te Akau’s two-year-old victories came with red-hot favourites at $1.20 and $1.80 respectively, What You Wish For jumped as a $7 chance in an even-looking Kaimai Stakes line-up.
The Embellish gelding had shown bright promise earlier in his career, winning as an autumn two-year-old and finishing third and sixth respectively in last year’s Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) and Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).
What You Wish For collected two wins from his first three starts this season, then finished ninth in the Gr.3 J Swap Sprint (1400m), eighth in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) and sixth in the Listed Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m).
The step up to 2000m on Saturday brought What You Wish For into his element. He jumped smartly for jockey Craig Grylls and was prominently placed throughout, settling in third or fourth in a muddling race that saw multiple lead changes.
Grylls presented What You Wish For on the outside of the leaders at the home turn, and he lengthened stride and soon reeled them in.
The challenge came from last-start Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) winner Wolfgang, who quickened well under his 59kg topweight and drew up alongside him. What You Wish For rose to meet his challenge, edging back in front and winning by a long head. The third-placed Nigella Lane finished just under two lengths behind the first pair.
“He hasn’t been beginning that great in his recent runs,” Grylls said. “The plan was to be midfield, but this time he absolutely flew out of the gates. I took the opportunity to come across and get into the trail.
“It was a real slack tempo. He was on the steel all the way. Once he was presented in the straight, he travelled up really strongly.
“He was probably aided by the second horse, because once he came up alongside him, it made him find more and more. It was a great run.”
What You Wish For was offered by breeders Cambridge Stud in Book 1 of Karaka 2022, where David Ellis bought him for $60,000. He is a son of Cambridge Stud stallion Embellish, who himself was an Ellis purchase at Karaka and won the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) in the Te Akau colours.
What You Wish For has had 17 starts for four wins, six placings and $207,890 in stakes.
“He’s always promised a lot,” Walker said. “We actually sprinted him up over 400m this morning, which got him thinking a little bit. You wouldn’t want to play cards with this horse, but it was good to get the win today.
“With the stock of Embellish, I think you’ve just got to have a little bit of patience with them. He’s an under-rated sire. If you’re patient and you take your time with them and nurse them along, they can be very good four-year-olds and five-year-olds.”
