Unprecedented Double for La Dorada (NZ)

Te Akau Racing’s La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) earned a piece of history on Saturday as the first filly to win both the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and the $225,000 Group Two J Swap Contractors Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).

La Dorada is one of an incredible eight Karaka Millions 2YO winners bought by David Ellis, who paid $190,000 to buy her from the Book 1 draft of breeders Waikato Stud at Karaka 2024. La Dorada’s four-start career has produced three wins, a second and $744,500 in stakes.

Seven fillies have won the Karaka Millions 2YO, but it has been rare for them to back up at Matamata a few weeks later and attempt the Karaka Millions-Matamata Breeders’ Stakes double. The 2010 Karaka Millions winner Sister Havana (NZ) (General Nediym) went close, finishing second in the Breeders’ Stakes and being beaten by a head. But now La Dorada has gone one better.

La Dorada drew gate six in a seven-filly field, and rider Michael McNab allowed her to stride forward and take the lead inside the first 200 metres. She was able to control the race from there before kicking hard at the top of the home straight.

Last-start Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m) winner To Cap It All (Capitalist) drew up alongside her and threw down a major challenge, but La Dorada lifted again. After a stirring battle through the last 300 metres, La Dorada gained the upper hand and edged away again to win by half a length. The third placegetter finished three and a quarter lengths behind the first two.

“She’s as tough as anything and was never going to let the other horse get past her,” McNab said. “The runner-up is a really good horse and we’d probably fit inside her height-wise, but mine is just all heart.”

La Dorada is trained by premiership leaders Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson at Matamata.

“What this filly lacks in size, she makes up for in toughness,” Bergerson said. “She is just the ultimate racehorse.

“She has gone to the next level since her Karaka Millions win. We gave her a quiet week after that and she came back and hasn’t missed a beat.

“She paraded fantastic today, and she has that bit of grit and sassiness that gives her the edge. When the other one went up to her, she was really game.

“He (McNab) got away with a cheap sectional down the back and that was the winning of the race. We had it mapped that we were going to be outside the leader, but he used his initiative and took up the running and the filly was very game late.”

La Dorada is by Waikato Stud stallion Super Seth, who was New Zealand’s leading first-season sire in 2023-24 and clearly heads the second-season standings in 2024-25.

The dam of La Dorada is Gold Fever (NZ) (Savabeel), who herself carried the Te Akau colours to victory in the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes in 2017. Gold Fever’s half-sister Gold Rush (NZ) (So You Think) won the same race in 2016.

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
Bred by	Chittick Investments Ltd & Waikato Stud Ltd