Te Akau Midweek Update
4 February, 2026
David writes:
It has been a very busy time for us following the Magic Millions' and Karaka sales, and it has been great to see the strong level of interest in the horses that we have purchased.
As I have mentioned many times before, literally every horse we buy is purchased on spec. That means we don’t buy horses with owners already in place – we buy them because we genuinely believe they are the best horses we want to train and have in our stable, and for our new and loyal existing owners to have the chance to be involved with and enjoy.
It's also true in my mind that breeders put their best horses in the sales, and if we want them in the stable, then we have to go and buy them. That philosophy has served us well over many years, and it continues to underpin everything we do.
One such horse is a colt I bought at Karaka in Book 2, Lot 592 – a Trapeze Artist colt out of Pick Up The Pieces. Quite simply, when you look at this colt in the paddock, he is as nice a colt as I have bought in a few years. He has a wonderful physique, great presence, and looks every inch a racehorse.
He is the 2026 horse for our daughter Julia-Rose's tangerine army. Last year we bought a colt subsequently called Out Of The Blue for her first foray into ownership that encourages young people to get involved - with shares starting at 1%.
Out Of The Blue has won two of his four races, was an unlucky third in a Group race in the other, and his army of supporters was thrilled to see him take his place in the Karaka Millions 2YO last month. He was ridden by top Australian jockey Craig Williams who won the 2025 edition for us on La Dorada. Unfortunately he missed the start from his wide gate but rattled home with some of the best sectionals of the entire race, finishing 7th. There is a lot more to come from this gelding, and his army is in for more exciting times ahead.
So back to the 2026 Tangerine Army horse ...
There was a very interesting article on his sire Trapeze Artist in ANZ Bloodstock News a couple of days ago, which reinforces why I am so excited about this colt. Trapeze Artist is enjoying a real rise as a stallion, with strong results from his fourth crop of runners. He has already produced five stakes' winners this season, is fourth on the Australian two-year-old sires’ list, and continues to rise on the general sires’ table.
Importantly, he has emerging high-profile two-year-olds such as Group 3 Widden Stakes' winner Chilly Girl, who is also among the leading chances for the Golden Slipper. Widden Stud is very confident the stallion is quickly returning to favour, and all indications are that his best crops are now coming through.
I will be very surprised if this colt is not in the Karaka Millions 2YO in 11 months’ time.
Another colt I really like is Lot 33 from Karaka – a Spirit Of Boom colt out of Pazienza (Written Tycoon mare), which we purchased for $280,000.
When I inspected him, my notes in the catalogue read:
“Good size and physique, great type, real 2YO, one for the race, just buy!”
Those comments sum him up perfectly. I can certainly see him also being a Karaka Millions 2YO contender next year, but he also has the strength and scope to train on and be a serious Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas' type of colt. He is the sort of horse that could even find himself in the NZB Kiwi slot race in two year's time, which is worth $4 million this season - and our stable looks like it will have three of the 14 starters in this exciting race next month.
On the weekend, our senior veterinarian Dr Doug Black was at Te Akau Stud and inspected every yearling. He turned to me afterwards and said,
“Well Dave, these are certainly right up there as amongst the very best group of yearlings that you have ever bought.”
That is pretty exciting to hear and makes it a very rewarding time to be involved in this great industry.
If you would like to be involved at any level and really enjoy racing with a fun and professional team, please give me a call on 021 925 151 or email Karyn at [email protected]. You will be made to feel very welcome.
I would also encourage you to have a look on our website, where you will see every horse that is available, along with photos, videos, pedigrees and share prices. Please get in touch sooner rather than later, as horses are selling well.
The yearlings have all settled in beautifully at the farm, and it is amazing to see the quality of grass they are enjoying. We had 138.5mls of rain in January, and the property is absolutely thriving as a result.
From a farming point of view, yesterday we sent another unit (40 steers) to Greenlea and repeated that again this morning. The cattle are weighing very well, which is pleasing, especially as the price of store cattle has risen considerably and we are now paying $2,000+ for yearling steers. Thankfully, we were proactive and bought around 85% of what we needed between July and October when the average price was closer to $1,600.
We have a big race meeting coming up at Te Rapa on Saturday, which Karyn and I are really looking forward to. We also have a talented trio racing at Caulfield on Saturday including I Am Aria in the Blue Diamond Prelude - she was a group 3 runner up on debut, is a really exciting filly, but sadly she has drawn awkwardly. On the plus side, Craig Williams is in the saddle.
We will be at Te Rapa on Saturday and would love to discuss any yearlings that are for sale with anyone who is interested, so please feel free to say hello – we would love to welcome you to the Tangerine Team.
Best of luck to all our owners with runners, and ...
GO THE TANGERINE!