La Dorada (NZ) Back On Top In Levin Classic

Victory in the Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Trentham capped an award-winning campaign for La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) last season, and a return to the same course and distance on Saturday brought the high-class filly right back to her sensational best.

The $400,000 Group Two Levin Track Supporters Levin Classic (1400m) was the fifth win of a nine-race career for La Dorada, who has earned $1.294m for the Te Akau Solid Gold Racing Partnership. She was bought by David Ellis for $190,000 from the Karaka 2024 Book 1 draft of breeders Waikato Stud.

La Dorada earned champion two-year-old honours last season after a near-flawless preparation that produced four wins and a second from five starts. She completed an unprecedented treble in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), the Group Two Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) and the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes.

The early part of La Dorada’s three-year-old season produced two unplaced finishes in Melbourne in the spring and then only a fourth as favourite at Te Rapa on December 13, but it was a very different version of La Dorada that lined up in the Levin Classic at Trentham on Saturday.

After initially settling in midfield, La Dorada was shuffled back towards the tail of the field when the pace slackened and had only three behind her coming around the home turn.

But jockey Craig Grylls found a pathway one off the rail in the straight and gave La Dorada the command. She quickened brilliantly and burst through in between Swiss Prince (NZ) (El Roca) and Argo (NZ) (Almanzor), who just a few strides earlier looked like they might have the finish to themselves.

La Dorada got her head in front at the 100-metre mark and pulled ahead of Swiss Prince to win by half a length.

“She hopped away okay, but there were about five horses that wanted to go hard for the first 100 metres and I was happy to take a sit, I didn’t want to use up too much,” Grylls said.

“As soon as they crossed us, the anchors just went on. It was pretty rough and we all got shuffled back. I have just kept on riding her through, and it has all opened up, and what a wicked turn of foot she had. She is back to her best.

“It wasn’t ideal how it worked out, but a good horse like that can get you out of sticky situations. She is not big, but she is all heart.”

Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are now keen to aim La Dorada at the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) at Ellerslie on January 24. She could become only the second horse to ever complete the Karaka Millions 2YO-3YO double, joining Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel), trained by Te Akau’s Jamie Richards for Cambridge Stud owners Sir Brendan and Lady Jo Lindsay in 2019 and 2020.

“This was a massive relief,” Bergerson said on Saturday. “I can’t thank the team enough at home that have done a fantastic job with her.

“We were scratching our heads after Te Rapa. She did have a good blow after it and we thought there was improvement in her. We kept the work up to her, she has thrived and done really well. We made sure we were up to the mark and it was fantastic to see her bounce back like that.

“When she got shuffled back on the fence and there was no speed, I thought it was going to be a disaster, but it was a great ride and it was great to see her back in form.

“Hopefully she can come through this well and we can crack on to the Karaka Millions.

“She has got the good attitude where she loves her racing and she is just so tough. I’m confident that she can travel home, do everything well, and I’m really excited for three weeks’ time.”

La Dorada became Te Akau’s third Levin Classic winner in the last four years, all of them Karaka graduates. The powerhouse stable previously won the race with Romancing The Moon (NZ) (El Roca) in 2023 and Quintessa (NZ) (Shamus Award) in 2024.

Saturday’s Levin Classic runner-up Swiss Prince was a $130,000 purchase from Book 2 of Karaka 2024 and has had eight starts for two wins, four placings and $198,275 in stakes.

Third-placed Argo was bought for $80,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2024. He has already earned $70,900 from a seven-start career that has produced two wins and two placings.

La Dorada is by Waikato Stud’s emerging star sire Super Seth, who has 47 yearlings catalogued for Karaka 2026 later this month.

Vendor	Waikato Stud Ltd
Purchaser	Mr DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) (Te Akau)
Breeding	Super Seth – Gold Fever
Sale	Lot 109, Karaka 2024 Book 1, $190,000
Breeder	Chittick Investments Ltd & Waikato Stud Ltd
Owner	Te Akau Solid Gold Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM)