Te Akau Midweek Update

David writes:

The people I most admire in racing are our teams in Matamata and at Te Akau who look after all the horses (especially at this time of the year).

Yesterday morning everyone got thoroughly wet through (and again this morning - it's pouring as I write) but they just keep going because they truly love the horses.  The good news is that Spring is only two and a half weeks away (officially) and everything starts improving -

Better coats for the horses

Better tracks for the horses

Better racing as Group 1 racing is only two weeks away after this Saturday

Better weather - better grass growth - in fact everything gets better from now on!

We are starting to prepare and organise our owners' events in November.  The North Island event will be around the Ready to Run sale time as Mark Walker will be home and you will have the opportunity to catch up with him as well as Jason, Pam, Karyn, me and the whole team.  Mark and Julia are currently on holiday with their children and enjoying their break. The South Island event will be around Cup Week and we will have more details for you in our newsletter due out shortly.

With Rock 'n' Pop now having three striking foals on the ground, it will very soon be Burgundy's turn.  Both of these two young sires can be bred to with confidence.  Te Akau will be supporting these two stallions this season with good numbers and we are really looking forward to seeing the yearlings by these two sires in the sale ring.

I am really hoping that at the NZTR Horse of the Year awards tomorrow that the Minister for Racing Hon Nathan Guy tells us his party's plan for racing.  I am sure that Glenda Hughes, the current Chairman of the Racing Board will also outline her goals and five year plan.

By the way, I am so over this Internet/Mana/Dotcom party - how a man can come here, get citizenship and then start criticising so much about the country as well as try to run it, is beyond me.  Won't it be great to have the election behind us?  There are lots of promises starting to fly around and many of those mean higher taxes - even the possibility of a capital gains tax. I have always thought that these politicians should try running their own businesses before they come into Parliament - they should learn about the dynamics involved, about employing staff, dealing with the red tape - before they try telling us what to do and what is best.  So many of them don't even have this experience.  In reality they would quickly realise what a challenge it is.

We must remember that the many small and medium sized businesses are crucial to our economy - and that includes farming which is still the economic backbone of New Zealand.  I always say fundamentally this country of ours is one big farm.

James Jackson is in the final stages of breaking in our last group of young horses - bringing his tally to 70.  He has done a sensational job and there is nothing I enjoy more in life than seeing a really talented horseman handle a difficult young horse with care, patience and determination.  Each day you see the horse slowly conform and understand what is being asked of him.  We currently have seven in work here who will be heading into my main stable in the next two weeks.

Tomorrow we have the NZTR Horse of the Year Awards in Hamilton - it is a busy night for us as Karyn is once again MC. Costa Viva will receive her trophy as the 2013/14 NZB Filly of the Year - becoming the fifth title winner for Te Akau.  That is quite a feat - no other stable has achieved more than one.  She is also a finalist in the Champion 3YO of the Year category.  Well done to Dianne and Geoff Ford, Dave and Nicky Hurst and Ray and Jan Batten. Good luck also to our stable rider Matt Cameron, winner of the Jockeys' Premiership, who is a finalist for the Champion Jockey of the Year title.

Then on Friday we have the Waikato Racing Club's Foxbridge Plate eve cocktail party featuring Lee Freedman - what an amazing training track record he has.  I have known Lee for many years and am looking forward to catching up with him as well as hearing him speak.

In keeping with our busy racing weekend, the Waikato Racing Club is in action for the first time on Saturday and I know as Chairman of the Club, Karyn is eagerly looking forward to the season kicking off with the first Group race in the North Island for 2014/15 - the Group 3 Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate.  What a field it has attracted - Te Akau will be represented by dual stakes' winner Spellbinder who is coming to hand very nicely indeed and should have a big season ahead.