Glamour Colt to do Owners Proud

The NZ Racing Desk/The Informant reports:

Xtravagant is heavily favoured to take out this weekend's Gr. 1 Woodridge Homes Levin Classic, but win, lose or draw, his dedicated group of owners that form the Te Akau 2014 Breeding Syndicate will leave no one in doubt as to where their loyalties lie.

Among the group cheering on their champ will be Scottish-born but now proud Kiwi Jim Hepburn and his wife Pauline. The former dairy industry executive affectionately dubs his wife a member of the “scream team” that enthusiastically supports each and every one of the 28 horses they are associated with through the Te Akau Racing juggernaut.

“We love going to the races to support our horses, whether it's a Group One like Saturday or a midweek maiden,” he said.

“We love the camaraderie that the syndicate generates and we have had some wonderful times with the people we have met.

“I guess we take the philosophy that if you race a horse on your own and it doesn't go well you are miserable on your own, but this way you can share the pain and definitely share the joy when you have a win.”

Jim and Pauline have raced horses for more than 35 years, but it wasn't until they returned from a 20-year stint working abroad in 2009 that they made the decision to change the way they operated.

“We had always been involved at the lower end of the industry to be frank,” Hepburn said. â€œWe'd had some success, but we decided when we got back that if you want to compete with the best then you need to be with the best. We decided to try our luck with David Ellis and Te Akau Racing and we haven't looked back.

“I think at last count we have shares in 28 horses and we're likely to get involved again this year at the sales with David. Te Akau Racing is an extremely professional organisation and we have had a wonderful experience and not just because we have a horse like Xtravagant.”

It's a sentiment shared by Waikato Racing Club Board member Glenn Holmes and his wife Cathie, who also participate in several Te Akau Racing syndicates including the group that owns Xtravagant.

Holmes and his wife made the decision to become involved in horse ownership after receiving an invitation from Ellis back in 2006.

“I was David's bank manager back then and he wrote to me to invite me to take a share in one of the yearlings he had purchased at Karaka,” he said.

“We talked it over and decided to take the plunge. The filly was named Primo Quest, who seven races and has now produced a couple of foals as well.

“Our interest grew from there and we have now become involved in a number of the Te Akau syndicates. We've been lucky enough to have been in the groups that raced Burgundy and Rock 'N' Pop and now to be a part of a colt like Xtravagant is a huge thrill.”

Holmes' pragmatic banking and farming background has played a major role in the couple's investment with Te Akau Racing as the word diversification comes up numerous times in conversation.

“The model that Te Akau promotes suits us down to the ground as we like to diversify by taking shares in a number of horses rather than putting our eggs all in one basket,” he said.

“The breeding syndicates have particular interest and we have been involved in each one since 2012 with the exception of last year. If there is another opportunity from the 2016 yearling sale then I'm sure we will be involved again.”

The only experience that Holmes has rued through his involvement with Te Akau Racing is missing out on the first-hand experience of being on course to celebrate a Group One winner.

“Unfortunately we couldn't be at Riccarton when Rock ‘N' Pop won the 2000 Guineas and a long-standing family commitment meant we also missed going to see Xtravagant,” he said.

“We are headed to Wellington this weekend, so hopefully we can experience that on-course atmosphere if we are lucky enough to snatch a victory. Mind you, we did celebrate in Group One style when we were watching him win at Riccarton on the television so that will take some matching.”

Those sentiments are music to the ears of Te Akau Racing supremo David Ellis as he gears up for another edition of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales in little under a fortnight. Ellis bought his first horse for syndication back in 1982 when the sales were based at Trentham and hasn't looked back.

“I bought a filly by Sovereign Edition and that's where it all began,” he said.

“I'm proud of how far we've come since then and to the contribution we have made to the local racing industry for the past thirty plus years. Our syndicates attract something like 95 new owners each and every year while we have been fortunate enough to retain a solid base of loyal clients who have been with us for many years.

“This is a very exciting time of the year as we get ready for Karaka. A massive amount of work goes in each year, both before and after the sale, but when you get a colt like Xtravagant and see the pleasure he brings for those who race with us then you know why you are in this business.”