Te Akau Midweek Update

David writes:

Every year in March / April Karyn and I go away for two nights to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We have now been married for twelve years. This year we went to Queenstown. We also celebrated selling every share in every horse that we have bought.

Queenstown is a simply beautiful place to stay and I was staggered at the number of racing people I met. This morning on my way to the airport the taxi driver knew more about cricket and racing than anybody I have ever met. He knew former Black Caps' Captain Brendan McCallum really well and knew that he took a share in a horse I bought at the sales last year.  He also knew that this filly was a very impressive trial winner yesterday - actually Brendon races this filly with Mark Chittick and his family.  We also had another trial winner yesterday, a Redoute's Chioce filly that I bought for Waikato Stud at the Sydney Easter sale.

Then when I went to check in at the airport, the staff member there at the counter told me he was a very keen racing man, then in the Koru Lounge the same … I love it.

We had some very nice trial runners yesterday and we are very excited about the team we have to race in the next two months. Trials are of course not just about winning - they are a further educational experience for many of our younger horses.

I can't wait to get back to the farm today as we have been very busy this week with roads, fencing and fertiliser on the new farm and the best news is that some rain is coming … rain in the Waikato in March is a huge bonus and it looks like we will get plenty to wash the fertiliser in.

The breaking in of our yearlings is going very well and we are well over half way and I am unbelievably impressed with what I have seen.  It's funny but the very last yearling to sell is the Commands' colt and he is one that has greatly impressed everybody … it's often the case how the last one is a good one.

Over Easter we are going to Auckland for a special dinner on Saturday night but I will be taking my Sydney Easter catalogue with me as next Friday Karyn and I leave for Sydney for a week for the sales.

Have a great Easter and good luck at the races.