Te Akau Friday Update
21 April, 2017
David writes:
Haven't the temperatures really changed in the last week? You can really feel a bit of a chill in the early mornings, can't you?
The winners keep flowing at Te Akau with our Singapore trainer Mark Walker still leading the Trainers' Premiership there, now with 28 winners this season (which started in January), and getting a win on both race days last weekend.
In New Zealand Stephen and Jamie had a very impressive 2YO winner in Cousteau on Thursday at Woodville. He is an Exceed and Excel colt out of Maritime who I purchased at the January Magic Millions' Sale last year and we think he is a pretty exciting, rising 3YO.
The wet weather has really disrupted racing in the North but the one thing we cannot control is the weather and we just have to get on with it, everyone is in the same boat.
On Wednesday I inspected all of our horses in Matamata that are heading to Australia for the Brisbane Winter Carnival - I was just thrilled at how they all look. The first to depart has been Heroic Valour - our Group 1 winning son of Fastnet Rock - he flew to Sydney yesterday. With the abandonment of trials and also the Taupo meeting where he was due to have an exhibition gallop, we made the decision to fly him over early and he will trial at Hawkesbury on Monday before heading up to Queensland - he is due to race 0n 6 May for the first time there.
It is also a very exciting time as all of our young horses that we are breaking in are starting to arrive at the stable. This year we have a terrific balance of two year old and three year old types and the team is confident that we have bought the best bunch of yearlings of all time.
All the best to the Fortuna team this weekend with Chance to Dance in the re-run of the Group 1 Sydney Cup tomorrow. This weekend Te Akau will have horses racing at:
Royal Randwick, Sydney
Ellerslie, Auckland
Trentham, Wellington
Kranji, Singapore
and in Ireland!
It certainly is a very exciting time to have a horse with Te Akau Racing - and we have a new opportunity coming up that we have been working on that I will detail soon and we think it will really capture your imaginations!
We only now have one share remaining in six stunning young horses - it is a very strange thing that often the last to sell can in actual fact be the best - there is not a thing wrong with these horses, each is a stand-out individual. Karyn and I will happily take the final share ourselves but we don't want to deny anyone the opportunity to have fun with them. We have started to break most of them in and without exception, the reports are glowing:
Our Darci Brahma/Aterballetto colt - only 10% is available - the 10% share is only $14,700 + GST and a 5% share is $7,350 plus GST - he's from a great family, has plenty of class, a terrififc Nureyev cross in his breeding - was terrific buying!
Our Savabeel/Foiled colt - due to an unfortunate change of circumstances ONE 10% share has become available - the 10% share is $10,700 + GST and a 5% share only $5,350 + GST. He's a good, strong type with lots of presence, by the multi-time chamnpion sire - was a bargain price wise when you think Savabeel stands at $100,000!
Our O'Reilly/Rehab filly - only a 5% share remains - this share is only $7,100 + GST. A honey pie of a horse, everyone loves her, just a darling to do anything with. There will be NO MORE O'Reilly fillies and they will be much sought after. She's beautifully put together and has a superb pedigree - her breeder loves her so much they have bought a share back in her - a great recommendation!
Our Declaration of War/Cat Schmea colt - a 10% share is $14,700 + GST and the 5% share just $$7,350 + GST. He is ripping through his breaking in, in great fashion and gives us every sign he could be in the Karaka Million - he's doing everything super-professionally. By an exciting new sire who himself was an outstanding race horse - his dam has already left a Group 1 winner and this colt is a really powerful type!
Our Camelot/Holy Moly filly from the Gold Coast Sale - the final 10% share is $29,000 + GST and a 5% share is $14,500 + GST (includes all sale costs and travel back to New Zealand). This filly is one classy customer and she just has so much poise and a real air about her - a really athletic and physically, a truly attractive filly with an outstanding pedigree to match her looks - she is by one of the most exciting young sires in Australasia and has a family that will ensure her future residual value as a broodmare - an exciting filly in the making for certain.
Our O'Reilly/Twlight Granita colt - the last colt of the Premier Sale and the final of the O'Reilly brigade. The final 10% share is $7,700 + GST or a 5% share is a snip at $3,850 + GST. You won't get another chance to race an O'Reilly colt and this colt was the last Lot ever sold by the legendary auctioneer Joe Walls - last in the sale, everyone had gone for a beer - we bought him at a bargain price! He's a gorgeous colt, handsome, strong and well conformed - cannot believe there is one share remaining!
Six stunning yearlings that any stable in the world would be proud to have to train.
If you want a share in a rising 2YO, this is your last chance.
Remember this year 2017 - Te Akau has won these races and everyone had a chance to be involved in any one of these horses:
Group 1 Levin Classic - Hall of Fame
Karaka Million - Melody Belle
Group 2 Avondale Guineas - Gingernuts
Group 2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes - Gold Fever
Group 1 NZ Derby - Gingernuts
Group 1 Rosehill Guineas - Gingernuts
Group 3 Darley Plate - Splurge
Group- 1 Manatwau Sires' Produce Stakes - Melody Belle
Remember too that we have many more Group and Listed placegetters eg Gold Fever was also third in the Group 1 Diamond Stakes and Group 3 Eclipse Stakes with a horse like Summer Monsoon who was a super second in the Listed Matamata Slipper. Heroic Valour went down only a whisker in the $250,000 Karaka Mile too.