Te Akau Racing's stranglehold on the country's richest race has gone to a whole new level in this year's edition of the Karaka Million.
Not only did Jamie Richards secure a fifth consecutive victory in the two-year-old feature for Te Akau on Saturday, he delivered a training masterclass to dominate the race in a way never seen before.
An emphatic win for 'On the Bubble' sparked wild scenes of celebration for the owners that continued all night long.
They were in stark contrast to the reaction of trainer Richards, who was ice cold as he watched his team deliver an unprecedented 'first four' in the country's richest race.
The typically humble master trainer was happy to direct the plaudits elsewhere.
"Full credit to [jockey] Jonathan [Parkes] and the horse and everybody concerned, it's been a big team effort," Richards said.
Parkes' positive early move from a wide barrier set up the dominant win.
"There was a couple of seconds there where I thought 'should I go back or go forward'," Parkes admitted.
"I thought 'nah I've got a big rolling horse, I'll go forward' and he's proven to be too good."
Another riding masterclass decided the night's other $1 million feature - the three-year-old Karaka Million Classic.
The anticipated two-horse race unfolded between Te Akau's Amarelinha and rising star, Aegon.
A pumped up Leith Innes delivered for Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, who had the horse just right in his first run since November.
"He's a very good horse," Frosman said. "Good horses make trainers look good."
Aegon is now likely to take his unbeaten record across the Tasman for an Autumn assault on the Aussies.
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