To Bravery Born (NZ) Secures TAB Karaka Millions 2YO Start

Unbeaten colt To Bravery Born (NZ) (Snitzel) left his run late, but eventually secured himself a place in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) with an Ellerslie victory just 13 days out from the big race.

The Te Akau Racing runner improved his career record to two-from-two in Sunday’s $45,000 Trackside.co.nz 2YO (1200m). He has now earned $40,250, which puts him in eighth in the order of entry.

To Bravery Born has been on the TAB Karaka Millions radar since August, when he won the first two-year-old race of the season at Wanganui. But subsequent setbacks cast serious doubt over his participation in New Zealand’s richest two-year-old race.

Sunday’s race at Ellerslie was the final chance for To Bravery Born to earn crucial prize-money and move up to the order of entry. He was languishing in 19th spot with $14,375 from his debut win, and he needed a top-two finish at Ellerslie to have any chance of making the field. He delivered.

To Bravery Born was patiently ridden by Craig Grylls, who took him back to the tail of the seven-horse field before unleashing him down the outside in the straight. He dashed to the lead 150 metres from the finish and stretched out stylishly to win by a length and a quarter.

“He was great,” Grylls said. “We were always going to go back from the draw, and we ended up right at the back.

“They went hard for the first furlong, then they steadied it up and made it a real sprint home. He’s angled out at the top of the straight and probably got there a bit soon if anything. He got there a lot quicker than I thought he was going to. It was a good win.

“He’s a suitable type for the Karaka Millions. He’s a real running two-year-old type. He won the first two-year-old race of the season, and now he’s backed that up again with another one.”

To Bravery Born was offered by Curraghmore on behalf of breeders Nearco Stud, in Book 1 of Karaka 2024, where he was bought by David Ellis for $200,000.

Ellis famously purchased seven Karaka Millions 2YO winners in a row between 2017 and 2023 – Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands), Avantage (Fastnet Rock), Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel), Cool Aza Beel (NZ) (Savabeel), On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau), Dynastic (NZ) (Almanzor) and Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin).

Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are relieved to have To Bravery Born back on target to try to add to that proud record.

“He’s had a bit of a strange prep,” Bergerson said. “He was ready to go at Pukekohe, but then he twinged a muscle, so we thought his Karaka Millions campaign was over.

“But he bounced back remarkably well. Coming in today without a trial, we were scratching our heads as to how he was going. Mark and I were talking this morning and we thought maybe he’s just a raceday horse, because he’d been quite laid-back at home.

“It was a really good effort. He’ll take a lot of improvement from that, he sprinted really well and probably came to the end of it in the last little bit. He’s a really nice horse going forward.”

To Bravery Born is part of a three-pronged TAB Karaka Millions 2YO contingent this year for Te Akau, who also have La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) in third spot with $64,625 and Belle du Monde (Zoustar) with $23,125.

The TAB Karaka Millions 2YO order of entry is still headed by Too Sweet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) with $164,400, with Intention (NZ) (Bivouac) in second spot with $111,625.

Landlock (Merchant Navy) is fourth with $57,375, followed by Almakeitgood (NZ) (Ardrossan) with $41,610, and Toretto (NZ) (Ardrossan) with $40,525.

There are 14 spots in the starting gate for the Karaka Millions 2YO, and the remaining positions are currently occupied by Abbakiss (Microphone) with $38,310, Sierra Leone (NZ) (Sun City) with $34,950, Vega For Luck (NZ) (Lucky Vega) with $33,950, Hello Romeo (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) with $32,715, Romanoff (NZ) (Belardo) with $26,975 and Miss Ziggy (NZ) (Brazen Beau) with $25,500.

Daylight Robbery (NZ) (Super Seth), Tale of the Gypsy (NZ) (Written By), Hello My Dear (NZ) (Hello Youmzain), and In The Air (NZ) (Embellish), will get their opportunity next, should there be any doubtful starters ahead of them. The TAB Karaka Millions 2YO is part of a stellar six-race twilight meeting at Ellerslie on January 25, which sets the scene for a spectacular week of Karaka 2025 selling action.