Te Akau Midweek Update
14 May, 2025
David writes:
Firstly, and most importantly this week, our hearts and thoughts are with Roddy, Gina, and the entire Schick family. We were deeply saddened to hear of the tragic loss of their beloved son, brother, and grandson, Jimmy, and we pray for Roddy and Oli’s recovery journey.
The Schick family is an integral part of the rich history of New Zealand thoroughbred breeding and racing - a family of virtue, honour, loyalty, and a deep commitment to, and passion for, our industry. The grief the entire Schick family is facing are beyond what any of us can truly comprehend, so we stand beside them and the entire team at Windsor Park Stud as we know the whole industry does. We send so, so much love to you.
If you would like to support them, in lieu of flowers or food, the family has asked that anyone who wishes to make a contribution kindly donate to this Givealittle page supporting the Cambridge Fire Brigade, Hato Hone St John Ambulance, and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/in-loving-memory-of-jimmy-schick
In news from Te Akau, Sunday night was the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame's biennial dinner, and I felt incredibly honoured to be inducted. It was such a special occasion, made even more meaningful by the presence of so many friends, family members, and loyal owners who came along to support me and Te Akau Racing. To look around the room and see 72 guests there as part of our wider Te Akau family – it was truly humbling and emotional.
Importantly, our wonderful mare Imperatriz also wrote herself into the realms of New Zealand racing history as a fellow inductee. What a superstar mare she was, watching her feats again just made us so proud, she just possessed so much grit and determination - the World's Best Sprinter in 2023/24 - Berri you will always remain deeply in our hearts. What a journey she’s had: to have won more Group 1 races in 2023 than any other horse in the world - what a thrill to have her recognised alongside so many legends of the turf.
One of the most touching parts of the evening for me was sharing it with some of the people who have stood beside me for decades. Sam Boyd, who used to help run Te Akau Stud who was with us for 35 years; Mark Walker – my wonderful friend and now business partner who has worked with me also for 35 years; our Business Manager Jenny Jackson JP, part of our team for 30 years; Luke Copeland, Te Akau Stud farm manager, we've been side by side for 25 years, and of course senior veterinarian Dr Doug Black - our relationship is coming up to an incredible 40 years.
Very importantly, my wife Karyn - we celebrate 21 years of marriage this year - as I said at the ceremony, she is truly instrumental in every part of Te Akau's success, and I cannot thank her enough - or our dynamic daughter Julia-Rose who works as our marketing manager, along with Hamish her husband, of Te Akau TV fame!
I was also proud to have our senior team present - co-trainer Sam Bergerson; Assistant Trainer Reece Trumper; new Racing manager Mikey Gray; South Island Assistant Trainer Hunter Durrant; Stable Manager Lena Jones; our Executive Assistant Shanti Brown.
These are people who have shaped Te Akau and been part of every major milestone, past, present and future. Seeing the joy on their faces and knowing how proud they were, made the night even more special.
The evening itself was an absolute credit Cherry Taylor from Trelawney Stud. She is Chairman of there Hall of fame and she does an exceptional job in that role – the event was seamless from start to finish and had a truly celebratory atmosphere. Michelle Brock, the event manager, also deserves plenty of praise.
I was deeply moved throughout the night, not just by the Te Akau recognition but by the warmth in the room. Applauding the other inductees, who set such incredible standards and achieved such greatness, was also very special. It was a lot of fun, too – a real highlight on the calendar.
And on a personal note, I was genuinely touched when Paul Moroney – one of New Zealand’s top bloodstock agents and a global authority came over to congratulate me and let me know I’m the first buyer ever to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. That really hit home, and I’ll carry that honour with immense pride.
If you’d like to relive some of the special moments from the night, we’ve shared the highlights' video on our website. All kudos too, to Annie Otway, who produced the videos played on the night – she did an outstanding job capturing the essence of our team, our journey, and our values - and those of the other inductees.
Back at Te Akau Stud, things are looking fantastic. This morning I did a full tour of the property with Mick Morrison and Luke Copeland, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how things are shaping up. After enduring one of the toughest droughts we’ve faced, we now have abundant grass cover – the pastures have really bounced back in recent weeks, which puts us in a great position heading into winter.
Back to farm life - yesterday, we scanned our five-year-old ewes and recorded a 171% lambing rate – a tremendous result. Out of 400 ewes, only nine were not in lamb which is a strong outcome especially considering the dry conditions we’ve experienced this season. In a couple of weeks, we’ll scan the mixed-age ewes, and early indications suggest we’ll have another productive lambing season.
Today we also sent a unit of prime steers to Greenlea, and I expect they’ll weigh in around 315kg. On Thursday, we’ll be sending our final unit of the season, likely to come in at a similar weight. The cattle market is currently at record highs, which makes this a very exciting time to be selling prime beef. The outlook for the sector remains positive, and it’s encouraging to see this strength continuing.
With the racing season winding down, it’s also a busy time for us with many of our horses currently spelling at the Stud. This morning we took covers off about ten of them, and I can honestly say - I haven’t seen horses spell this well in a long time. They are thriving in the mild weather – we even reached 19 degrees today, which is quite remarkable for this time of year. The warmth, combined with the lush paddocks, has really helped them freshen up and recharge beautifully.
And finally, a quick note on our yearlings – we still have limited shares available in a couple of truly outstanding yearlings - and it's interesting to note how much these pedigrees are roaring head since we bought them!
One that really stood out to me again today was the Home Affairs filly - Lot 563 from Magic Millions' sale. She’s one of the most impressive fillies I’ve seen - superb type, terrific walk, and an excellent pedigree. I wouldn’t wait too long on this one! You can learn about her here: https://www.teakauracing.com/yearling/lot-563-home-affairs-aus-kings-iris-aus-bay-filly
Thank you to all our owners and supporters for being part of our Te Akau family. Whether it’s at the races, at our farm, or at a night like the Hall of Fame dinner, your support means everything. We’re excited about the months ahead – and we’ll keep working hard to deliver results we can all be proud of.