Te Akau Midweek Update

David writes:

People regularly ask me what keeps me going in racing and the answer is quite easy - I love winning and love seeing our owners win. 

And it's not just about horses that 'make headlines' (remember we don't write those headlines, the media loves to do that) - I get just as much pleasure from seeing a maiden winner too!

Yesterday the first win of Ginger Too at just his second start gave me a massive thrill - there is also nothing quite like winning a race with a horse that I have bought for our owners. These owners have had to be patient with this horse as a slower-maturing type, but they understood that this approach was needed. They supported Jamie and the team in this, so it's great to see patience pay dividends.

I bought Ginger Too from Book 2 at Karaka for $70,000 - the team gave him the stable named "LJ" which stands for Little Jerry. This was because he reminded everyone so much of Gingernuts whose stable name is Jerry. He's by the same sire Iffraaj, out of a Group 1 winning, Champion 2YO South American mare.

Already this season, we are the leading stable in New Zealand for stakes' money won for our owners with $841,000 in New Zealand and added to that we have won approximately A$1.7 million in Australia and S$3.2 million for our owners - now that is pretty exciting. 

Jamie leads the New Zealand Trainers' Premiership with 34 wins for the season, while Mark is well in front in Singapore where his third Singapore Trainers' Premiership title looks odds-on.

Didn't Melody Belle go well this Spring? 

The Group 1 Triple Crown in the Hawkes Bay, the Group 1 Empire Rose at Flemington (four Group 1 races in total) and a great second in the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes. She comes home to spell tomorrow to Te Akau Stud and I have a beautiful paddock all ready for her right next to our other Australian stand-out, Te Akau Shark. 

When you think about our Australian results, gee we went close in so many serious races:

1st Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes
2nd Group 1 Epsom Hcp
2nd Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes
2nd Group 1 Flight Stakes
2nd Group 2 Tramway Stakes
2nd Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes
3rd Group 1 Cox Plate
4th Group 1 Furious Stakes

Thank you to all my team members who have worked so hard to bring home these amazing results for our owners. We easily have the best staff in the history of Te Akau Racing. 

Last Saturday we were really enjoyed welcoming a large number of South Island owners to our annual function at the Riccarton races - thank you to everyone who came and caught up with Karyn and Emma, I was very sorry I could not be there as I had commitments at Te Rapa.

It has been a pretty exciting day here at Te Akau Stud. Today we sent our first truck and trailer load of 35 cattle to Greenlea for the season. Yes, this is the first stock to sell for nine months.

They are very big steers and I estimate they will kill out between 390kg and 400kg. We will be sending a unit most days for the next three months. 

Today, the farm staff are weighing cattle and tomorrow, we go through all the ewes and cull those that aren't really thriving. 

We had 42mls of rain on Sunday and a further 10mls yesterday, which is just brilliant for the farm, especially my crop. This year I have put almost about 60 acres into Plantain, a fantastic summer crop for lambs. 

We have just shorn, drenched and weaned over 3,000 lambs and we will be having our first lamb draft in early December. 

My total attention is currently on the Ready to Run sale next week at Karaka, and I am certain I am going to buy the next Gingernuts or Te Akau Shark or Hall of Fame!

If you are interested in knowing more, why don't you come out to sale and see for yourself the magnificent facilities that New Zealand Bloodstock has?

It would also be a great time to talk to me or Karyn about coming into a horse that will not only be trained by Jamie Richards, but ridden by our stable jockey Opie Bosson.  We are a terrific team to be involved with and you will feel very welcome!

Go the Tangerine, and I look forward to seeing you there!

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