Te Akau Midweek Update

David writes:

I am still on cloud nine from our trifecta in the Karaka 2YO Million. To trifecta a million dollar race is something I could never have dreamed of when I was growing up. There are so many people who have helped us achieve this and I think it's important when you have a huge result to acknowledge all the people that have helped make this happen, so here goes… 

It starts in the sale ring and my team looking at all the horses comprises Joe Walls and Danny Rolston - two of the best judges in the business. Then Jamie Richards and Mark Walker inspect my short list.

What Mark has achieved in training is quite incredible and he has a unbelievable eye for a good horse. You don't win all the premierships he has, without true ability and Mark has this in droves.

Then Doug Black, my vet for 33 years, inspects our top picks, as by this time we have narrowed the list down. I'm the guy that has the final say but it is very much a team effort. So thanks team for helping me select an amazing number of yearlings.

One comment that I did find interesting was from New Zealand Bloodstock (NZB) Chairman Joe Walls, who said in his 45 years of work at NZB he has never seen one person take so many top yearlings home. Yesterday Opie Bosson, our stable rider, was up at the farm looking at the yearlings, and he is so delighted to be able to ride them all in the future. Definitely exciting times ahead at Te Akau Racing and Opie is a very important part of the team.

We are also blessed with the great staff, or team members as I like to call them, in the long history of Te Akau Racing. I am so grateful to every single one of them and I dislike mentioning people by name but I wanted to mention three today because they run the stable which has Avantage, Melody Belle and Probabeel, our 'millionairesses' or Karaka Million winners.

Firstly, Nicole Shailer - in the 35 years of Te Akau Racing she is among the best I have employed. She is simply a champion, very capable, hard-working and I am so proud to have her in my team. She is an inspiration to so many people. We also have Mason Stevens in the same stable. Mason is a champion too and one of the best senior team members we have ever had. The attention to detail is unbelievable and Mason has a huge future in our team in years to come, I am very proud seeing him progress. And finally, we have the one and only Teina Walters, he is a brilliant guy who I am also so proud to have in my team. Teina is the strapper for Probabeel and Melody Belle and he does a superb job of looking after our top performers, colts and fillies. He too has a great work ethic and brings a smile to everyone who meets him.

So a huge thank you to you three for the fantastic job you have done with Probabeel in recent months, as well as all the other horses under your care. To all the team at Matamata - well done to you all - a trifecta in a million dollar race makes me such a happy man - and all kudos to you, our wonderful team!!

I also want to acknowledge my Team at Te Akau Stud who educated Probabeel and looked after her so well. Enzo Di Leoni Ferrari who breaks them in is a world class horseman - it is just incredible the skill he has and what he can teach a horse to do with expertise and kindness. He is such an important part of the team.

Plus Luke Copeland who has worked in my team since the day he left school and who has done an amazing job looking after the farm while I was away buying the yearlings. He was helped enormously by Toni, Dean, Chloe and the rest of the team.

We can't forget the team behind the paperwork and administration either who make everything go so smoothly - Lena, Robyn and Emma. Julia-Rose our social media and marketing hero who has been so busy during the sales together with being a new Mum and planning her March wedding. Kate Belsham who works in the stable has also been a great social media assistant too.

So you can see what a lucky team leader I am.  Plus this last few weeks I have been assisted by Libby Richards, our new Racing Manager, who is such a massive help to me during the pre sales period and in selling the yearlings. She is a very talented young woman. So you can see what a great team I have plus the big boss is Karyn, who has done quite an amazing job selling all the shares in our yearlings, which are selling faster than ever.

Before I sign off, I would like to share two of my favourite fillies from the sale:

Lot 37 is a delightful Savabeel filly out of the stakes' winning mare Flavigny. I was prepared to pay $300,000 for this filly and bought her for $190,000, which was simply brilliant buying!

A 10% share in this filly would only cost $19,780 +GST and a 5% share would be $9,890 +GST - this includes sale expenses at cost and a full veterinary and x-ray examination at the sale.

The next filly I really liked is Lot 210. I bred this filly with Nearco Stud who wanted to sell and I wanted to buy so we put her up for sale - and this was she can also qualify for Karaka Million entry. This filly is out of Mexican Rose who was a Champion Two Year Old and Chmpion Three Year Old. If this filly is not in the Karaka Million I will be very surprised. She looks a very precocious filly to me and will be one of the first yearlings that we break in.

This filly cost $150,000 so a 10% share is only $15,780 +GST and a 5% share is only $7,890 +GST - including the sale expenses at cost and the full veterinary examinations. She is a real beauty this one.

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