Australians return in search of more Te Rapa spoils
Richard Edmunds - Raceform • February 6th, 2026 10:05 AM • 4 min read
The Australians came and conquered on Te Rapa’s Group One raceday 12 months ago, and the trans-Tasman raiders are returning in force for the 2026 edition of Legends Day this Saturday.
Last year’s meeting got off to a shaky start for the Australians when Numerian finished sixth as third favourite in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes for trainer Annabel Archibald. He crossed the line almost nine lengths adrift of a high-flying El Vencedor in the form of his life.
But the Australians fought back powerfully with a quinella in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint. Here To Shock romped to victory by four lengths for Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes, with the Archibald-trained Bosustow filling the runner-up spot ahead of leading local runner Savaglee.
That BCD Group Sprint turned out to be a particularly strong form race for subsequent black-type features back in Australia. Here To Shock was second in a photo finish to the Gr.1 Canterbury Stakes in his next start, Bosustow won the Gr.3 Gold Coast Guineas in his next appearance, and Savaglee was runner-up in the Gr.1 Australian Guineas.
The Australian contingent is two-pronged in both of the Group One weight-for-age features on Saturday. First up is the $700,000 Herbie Dyke Stakes, in which the TAB’s fixed-odds market is headed by the Gavin Bedggood-trained Kingswood at $2.50.
Previously a four-time winner in Australia up to Group Three level, Kingswood crossed the Tasman in search of Group One form to boost his potential stallion prospects. That mission was accomplished in his New Zealand debut as he triumphed in a strangely run Gr.1 Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
Jockey Rory Hutchings made a bold move from third-last to charge into a clear lead with more than 700 metres still to run. The sudden move left their rivals scrambling, and Kingswood still had a length and a half up his sleeve at the finish.
“Rory gave the horse an absolutely fantastic ride and it was the winning of the race,” Bedgood told RaceForm. “We were most definitely keen to keep Rory in the saddle for the next one.
“There’s still a couple more races to go before I can say it’s fully mission accomplished, but we sent him to New Zealand in search of a Group One, so that box has been ticked.
“The horse is in good order. Having six weeks between runs allowed us to give him a week in the paddock after Boxing Day, and we’ve been just slowly tightening the screws again since then.
“He went to Ellerslie for a gallop ahead of the Karaka Millions and worked well there, then we took him to Te Rapa last Friday and he had a look around the track between races. He’s been working well and his fitness is good. We’re looking forward to Saturday.”
Kingswood is joined in the Herbie Dyke line-up by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr’s Knobelas, who won three of her seven starts in Australia before coming over and finishing strongly for third in the Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic at Ellerslie. Knobelas is a $4 second favourite in the Herbie Dyke market.
In the BCD Group Sprint, the Hayes brothers have brought Here To Shock back to defend his title, and he will be joined by stablemate Arkansaw Kid who was a last-start second in an all-Australian quinella in the Sistema Railway.
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Big Saturday includes meetings at Te Rapa and Wingatui. Race highlights are the Herbie Dyke Stakes and the BCD Group Sprint - both Gr.1s.
Tune in on Trackside 1 or trackside.co.nz from 11:30am
