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Taupo treble for Te Akau;Sultan sitting out the spring

Taupo treble for Te Akau

Te Akau trainer Jamie Richards enjoyed a good day at Taupo on Wednesday, sending out a trio of winners including impressive three-year-old Burgundy Rose.

Ridden by stable apprentice Chelsea Burden, Burgundy Rose made use of an inside gate to lead throughout and dashed off the bend under the three-kilo claimer to win by six and a quarter lengths.

"It was a really positive ride from Chelsea and I am really proud of her," Richards said.

"She hasn't had a lot of luck of late on our horses and she stuck to the instructions really well.

"It was good to see Chelsea make use of her allowance and beat a handy field."

Bred by David Ellis, Burgundy Rose is raced by the Te Akau Roses Are Red Syndicate, which includes Richards' grandparents.

Earlier on the program four-year-old mare Kylie Bax led throughout for Danielle Johnson and the well named daughter of Pentire and Platinum Blonde broke through for her maiden victory having placed in her two previous starts for Richards.

Top Brass maintained his perfect record with a win in rating 65 grade, defeating stablemate Lilikoi to make it two starts for two wins and maintain the momentum for Richards, who currently heads the New Zealand trainers' premiership.

Sultan sitting out the spring

Trainer Shaune Ritchie has made the call to tip consistent performer Sultan of Swing out for a spell.

"He has gone for a break," Ritchie said. "He has done a terrific job and has been in work for almost a year. We spaced his races and he ran through that whole winter period, his form is impeccable."

Despite a runner-up finish at his last start in the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m), Ritchie saw signs the seven-year-old gelding had come to the end of his preparation.

"When he went to the start in the Windsor Park Plate, even then he was going down not as freely as he had in the past," he said.

"We had a talk to George (Simon), Dominic (Li) and Maryanne (Simon) who manage and own the horse and we felt if we had gone back a second time we would probably have got a sub-standard run."

Sultan of Swing has been enjoying a top run of form of late, winning two of his last six starts and finishing second in the other four. Ritchie is aiming to resume the son of Bachelor Duke in late summer once the tracks have started to soften.