Tivaci colt receives a pre-Sale boost

Akahata provided his Karaka-bound half-brother with an important pedigree update with his latest
success.

The Waikato Stud graduate won for the third time in his career when the Bjorn Baker-trained son of
Pins came from the tail of the field to score in impressive fashion at Mudgee on Sunday afternoon.

“It wasn’t by design and we were hoping to be third or fourth, but he missed the kick. I nearly gave
up on him where he was that far back,” stable representative Glen Lobb said.

Akahata is out of the unraced O’Reilly mare Holiness, who is from the immediate family of the Group
1 winners Metal Bender, Maralinga, the G3 Up & Coming S. winner and G1 Golden Rose S. runner-up North Pacific and multiple Group winner Missybeel.

Waikato Stud will offer a Tivaci colt out of Holiness, Lot 302, during the Book 1 session of New
Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale, which commences on Monday 7th March. View his page here.

Akahata settled last under jockey Brandon Lerna before improving 700 metres from home and they
weaved between runners in the straight to prove far too good.

“It was a terrific ride by Brandon. The horse has been in a lot of good races and we’ve always
thought a bit of him – he ran third to Converge earlier in his career,” Lobb said.

He was referring to a placing last season behind the G1 JJ Atkins S. winner in the Listed Fernhill S.
Akahata was initially sold by Waikato Stud to Ohukia Lodge at Karaka for $90,000 and was later
bought by Baker and Jim Clarke Bloodstock for A$100,000 at the Inglis Sydney Ready to Race Sale.