Te Akau Friday Update

David writes:

What beautiful rain we are having on the farm - yesterday it was 22 degrees and you can just see the grass growing.

Yesterday two very good friends of ours Gavin and Shane Wealleans came to the farm to inspect their horses and stay for a nice lunch (their favourite, racks of lamb on the weber).  This father and son team have a massive fuel and fertiliser business in the Waikato.

I get them to do all of my business in this department and they are the best I have ever been involved with.  Wealleans is also a company that puts plenty back into the community and into racing and they are always sponsoring different events whether it is racing or lawn bowls - so many projects enjoy their support.

Tomorrow No Tricks lines up for her first start in Brisbane - she is owned by Paul and Cushla Smithies who have had a marvellous year with horses that they have bred and we love training for them. We could have taken No Tricks over to Brisbane but we recommended she be sent to the local trainer that they know well as we have the best team of young horses I have ever seen at Te Akau to race in the new season and I just want the team at Matamata to concentrate on that at this time.  We wish Paul and Cushla and No Tricks all the very best of luck for tomorrow.

Today I am off to Auckland (well he's gone already - Ed) to have meetings and lunch with some new owners and tomorrow night we are taking my amazing Administration Manager Robyn Bregmen and her husband Derek to Auckland and out to dinner.  Their daughter Nicky - who is also our lawyer - is joining us as are Matt Cameron and his partner Blair Alexander so it should be a great night.

Then on Sunday our youngest daughter is taking her partner Hamish, his mother Catherine plus Karyn and me out for lunch on Mothers' Day.

So we have a fun weekend planned - then on Monday I fly out to Hong Kong before meeting up with Karyn and our "Singapore Sling" team in Singapore on Thursday for what will be an outstanding weekend of racing.  At this stage Mark is looking to have around nine runners on Friday and ten on the Sunday so we have plenty to look forward to, including a stable visit on Saturday.