Te Akau Midweek Update

David writes:

I am sure that you all join me in thinking this week about the sadness that Steve and Lynley Autridge, father Bob and brother Toby and their families are experiencing as they grieve the loss of Gloria - their wonderful wife, mother, mother in law and grandmother.  She was a truly special and warm woman who will be sorely missed and most lovingly remembered.  The celebration of Gloria's life will take place at Matamata racecourse tomorrow.

We have a very busy Easter coming up with racing in Dubai and at Awapuni - two worlds apart geographically for sure.  The main photo and the photos below feature our European-based horse Torcedor enjoying his small paddock in Dubai as he prepares for the US$1 million Group 2 Dubai Gold Cup over 3200m in the early hours of Sunday morning NZ time (12.45am we are advised).

You can see how well he looks - our trainer Jessica Harrington has him in amazing order, considering he was working in the snow only two weeks ago in Ireland.

Karyn and I will be at Awapuni on Saturday for the Group 1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes which we won last year with Melody Belle, a filly I purchased from Karaka.  This year we have three excellent chances with Sword of Osman, Avantage and Handsome Rebel.   Last start Group 1 Sistema Stakes' winner Sword of Osman will be ridden by our stable jockey Opie Bosson; Karaka Million winner and Group 1 Sistema runner-up Avantage will be piloted by Danielle Johnson and Shafiq Rusof, our two-time Champion Singapore apprentice, now senior rider, is aboard stakes' placed Handsome Rebel.

Let's hope we get some luck with the all-important barrier draws today.

When I was out on the farm yesterday, I was thinking about just how successful the last 12 months or so have been for Te Akau Racing.

In this period, there have been only five $1 million races in New Zealand and Te Akau has won three of them and finished a very close second in the other two - Embellish was narrowly beaten by Scott Base in the Karaka 3YO Million and Mongolianconqueror went down a nose in the New Zealand Derby.

Results like this are hard to achieve and it tells me two main things:

1.  We are buying the right horses, and


2. The team is doing a super job training them!

It is a very exciting time of the year too at Te Akau Stud seeing our young horses starting their early education.  I love seeing them being ridden for the first time and I can say without any doubt, or fear of contradiction, that we have never seen so many classy yearlings as we have in the team this year from the sale.

Have a great Easter everyone and GO THE TANGERINE!!