Te Akau Racing has a proud record of winning the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m) with a top-class juvenile from the previous season, and Maven Belle survived a scare and continued that tradition at Pukekohe on Saturday.

It was the fourth time in the last six years that the syndication powerhouse has won the feature three-year-old sprint on Karaka Million night. Te Akau and their champion trainer Jamie Richards won the Almanzor with former Group One-winning two-year-olds Melody Belle in 2018 and Sword Of State in 2022, while their 2021 winner Need I Say More had scored at Group Three level during his juvenile campaign.

This year’s Almanzor was only the second start of Maven Belle’s three-year-old season, having resumed with a dominant come-from-behind win at Pukekohe less than two weeks earlier. That performance earned her $2.20 favouritism for Saturday’s $130,000 feature, and she won again – but this time it was far less clear-cut.

In a rough-run race that saw both Charmario and I Choose You completely taken out of the contest by severe checks, Maven Belle was hampered going into the first corner. However, rider Opie Bosson was able to slide forward into a handy position, poised to pounce coming up to the home turn.

Maven Belle quickened when Bosson went for the accelerator in the straight, but Master Brutus kicked through along her inside and went with her.