Te Akau Friday Update

David writes:

It is not only the farmers who want rain.  Most of the trainers would be pleased to see some rain as there are a huge number of horses that are jarred up with the long fine period delivering such firm going.It certainly looks like some rain is going to come which will be a big help to Darci's Dream and Viva La Difference racing at Ellerslie tomorrow.

It would also be great for Te Akau Stud to have a little bit of rain as we have put fertiliser on all this week being super phosphate and lime and it would be great to wash that in.

Yesterday we sent the first four yearlings that have been broken in to Matamata for further education.  It is an important part in their early education as they learn the ropes and the regime of stable life! We like to take them to the race course and give them a trot and a canter around and get them used to daily trackwork, we take them to the starting stalls, teach them to go in and out of the starting stalls, plus we also like to teach them how to swim.  This is their first preparation before we turn them out for a well-earned spell.

Yesterday afternoon we had our vet Doug Black at the farm and we gelded four horses,  three from the sales and one two year old.  We were very fortunate to have a special guest to stay in Sam Boyd who has been part of the team and part of the family for over 30 years. We had a lovely night together talking about the old times.  Sam also has  shares in some particularly nice horses that he enjoyed having a look at including a Darci Brahma filly out of Corsage.  From left below - me with Jamie Richards, Sam (seated) and our vet Dr Doug Black.

Tomorrow is the final day of the Auckland Cup Carnival and Karyn and I will be going.  Karyn heads up later today as she has another very early start with The First Call being broadcast from Ellerslie.  As I mentioned, we have two runners,  Darci's Dream and Viva La Difference.  It has been a hugely successful Cup Week and there is some really good racing tomorrow.

We have now just about finished the weaning of the foals.  We have 25 foals at Te Akau Stud, most of them by Burgundy, Rock 'n' Pop and Darci Brahma.  Horses are completely different to wean than say sheep and cattle, where a cow is forlorn for three or four days afterwards and the calf will cry out and walk the fence looking for the cow and it is the same with sheep.  Well when you wean a foal from a mare they hardly even notice.  We have found that the easiest way to wean over the years is to simply take the mare away and leave the foal with its mates in the paddock and they just carry on eating and hardly bat an eyelid.

We have a large number of horses going to the Rotorua trials on Tuesday.  We have two Savabeel colts trialling, one out of Legs named Scrutinize and Splurge who, after this trial, will be ready to race. We have three jumpers getting ready for the winter season which starts in about five weeks' time and they are also having a trial (main picture is Brer who won back to back at the Riccarton Grand National Carnival last year).