Te Akau Monday Update
25 June, 2018
David writes:
Well done Mark!!!
At Te Akau there is always something to keep us involved in the world of horse racing.
Last Friday we were up at 3am to watch Torcedor perform so well at Royal Ascot and last night, it was the turn of our Singapore team.
On one of the biggest nights of the year in Singapore, Mark recorded three wins and the Group 1 quinella in the $1 million Charity Bowl. What a massive achievement!
Like all top trainers, Mark was very confident he would have a great night but we always know how luck can play its part on these big occasions no matter how well prepared the horse. However Mark knew he had the horsepower to make a big impact. As usual, he was spot on!
Gus and Karen Clutterbuck have been a very important part of the Te Akau team for almost 20 years - currently in Singapore, before travelling there to support Mark when he re-located, before that they ran our hugely successful South Island stable.
Unbelievably, this result was our THIRD Group 1 quinella this season and our SECOND $1 million race quinella. We also had Avantage and Al Hasa do the business in the Karaka Million and of course Embellish and Age of Fire in the NZ 2000 Guineas.
Mark has held Elite Invincible in very high regard for some time but didn't Kingsman (a son of Darci Brahma) run an incredible race? This gelding was purchased by one of the best judges I have met in Chris Rutten and we are very proud to be training for this great man.
Isn't Darci Brahma an amazing sire? His offspring win every week, doesn't matter whether New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong or Singapore, where he has been the Champion Sire on multiple occasions. They win as two year olds, and just look at Nashville at Riccarton on Saturday, winning as a rising 10 year old! They win over 1000m and they win over 2400m.
The colts are good and the fillies are just as good - he just leaves really sound, tough horses that are a pleasure to train.
Gee it is wet on the farm this morning and rain is forecast for most of the day - the tracks in New Zealand are all very heavy and we are lucky that we only have one horse to race in the next few weeks but have NO FEAR we have a plan for an very exciting season ahead. Our horses will be well and truly ready for action when the tracks improve. They will be fit and extremely well educated - yes we are all very excited about Spring racing.
Also there are still final shares available in just three yearlings. Remember the last two yearlings to sell last year were both Group 1 winners - Sword of Osman and Avantage! So it is a massive mistake to think that because there are shares remaining, there could be something wrong with a horse - the complete opposite it true.
For example this Redoute's Choice filly is as good a filly as I have bought all year - and her sire keeps rolling out Group 1 winners!
There is ONE share remaining in this beautiful filly that has broken in superbly and has impressed everybody who has ridden her. I would like to think that this filly will be ready to race in the Spring - she does look all class to my eye.