Agera (NZ) Adds Matamata Cup to Career-Best Campaign

A career-best campaign for Karaka graduate Agera (NZ) (Complacent) hit new heights on Friday with a black-type success in the $80,000 Listed Team Wealleans Matamata Cup (1600m). 

Agera was a $70,000 purchase by Waikato Bloodstock from Mapperley Stud’s draft in Book 2 of Karaka 2021. He has now had 24 starts for six wins, eight placings and $208,740 in stakes – almost three times his purchase price.

The Tony Pike-trained gelding has turned a corner as a six-year-old this season, collecting four of those six career victories from only six appearances so far in the 2025-26 season.

Friday’s Matamata feature was his first taste of black-type competition, and Agera immediately looked at home.

He was positioned in midfield by jockey Matt Cartwright and appeared to face an uphill task as the leaders Electric Time (NZ) (Telperion) and Above The Clouds (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) stole a break on the field coming into the home straight.

But Cartwright unleashed Agera in the final 150 metres and he charged out of the pack, flying up alongside the leaders in the last few strides and snatching victory by a short head.

“He didn’t look like he was any chance turning for home,” Pike said. “It was a very good effort to sprint the way he did and make up that amount of ground off a slow tempo.

“He’s obviously racing in career-best form this time in. The ability has always been there, but he had a few soundness issues as a young horse. He’s matured through those now, and as a six-year-old, he’s become more of a battle-hardened racehorse.

“He needs a little bit of give in the ground, so we were thinking we might turn him out after today if it seemed like the rain was stopping and the tracks were drying out. But after he’s won so well today, and with the possibility of some rain around in the lower North Island towards the end of next week, we might consider giving him one more run in the Thompson Handicap (Group Three, 1600m) at Trentham next weekend.”

Matamata Cup runner-up Electric Time was bought for just $5,000 by Te Keeti Bloodstock from Book 3 of Karaka 2020. She has had 52 starts for five wins, nine placings and $193,610 in stakes – 38 times her purchase price – along with significant broodmare value as a black-type performer.

Third-placed Above The Clouds was another bargain buy, picked up by trainer and part-owner Ralph Manning for $9,000 from Book 2 of Karaka 2020. Her 41-race career has produced eight wins, seven placings and $175,440 in stakes – almost 20 times her purchase price.

Vendor	Mapperley Stud Ltd
Purchaser	Waikato Bloodstock (Waikato)
Breeding	Complacent – Shelly Bee
Sale	Lot 648, Karaka 2021 Book 2, $70,000
Breeder	H G W & Mrs K L McQuade
Owner	Gee Gee Investments Ltd