Te Akau Monday Update

David writes:

Well, we are certainly living in interesting and challenging
times.

We are all very busy at Te Akau Stud, especially with all the additional horses that are here spelling. We are very lucky to have so much land available for them to come home to.

We are also very lucky that our whole team is totally dedicated to the well-being of each and every one of our horses and everyone has pitched in and gone the extra mile.

One thing I am 100% certain of is that we will get through this problem together. It will end, we just don't know when!

I am also certain that within 12 months, they will find a cure or a vaccine for this virus and the world economy will bounce back quickly. I am a man whose glass is always half full, not half empty.

With all the horses spelling, my team at Matamata is having some well deserved time off but we will also ensure that our farm team also is well looked after..

One thing that I can promise is this - our horses love the spelling lifestyle here on the farm. The grass is becoming quite lush now, and nothing beats being put on the rolling terrain. Plus, being fed twice a day - our horses are under the best care they could possibly have, and totally deserve!

While racing has shut down in New Zealand, we still have three of our legends based in Australia - Te Akau Shark, Melody Belle and Probabeel - all Australian Group 1 winners this season. The first two have also won Group 1 races in New Zealand this season while Probabeel won the Karaka 3YO Million to accompany her Karaka 2YO Million crown.

Probabeel, a mighty Savabeel filly with a big heart, showed extraordinary courage with a superb performance for second in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes over 2000m at Rosehill on Saturday. Not only did she see off cracking filly and race favourite Funstar (4th), she also showed her first attempt over 2000m was well within her range.

While under 'normal' circumstances, this may have been Probabeel's final run for the season - we will look at her having one more start in either the Group 1 Oaks or Group Coolmore Legacy in Sydney.

Both Melody Belle and Te Akau Shark are also in Sydney, working respectively towards their up and coming races. If racing continues in Australia, Melody Belle is working towards the Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick on Saturday, while Te Akau Shark is circling the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, also at Randwick, on 11 April.

The Australian Turf Club also announced that the prizemoney for Sydney's signature autumn races has been halved, due to racing's reduced income stream.

Thus the Group 1 Doncaster Mile has reduced to A$1.5 million (previously A$3 million) and the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth moves to A$2 million (was A$4 million), while both the the Group 1 Australian Oaks and Group 1 Coolmore Legacy will carry A$500,000 rather than their original purse of A$1 million.

So the Sydney clubs remain in lock-down with no public and only absolutely essential personnel permitted on course on race days. However we all recognise that if the Australian/State governments introduce harsher stay-at-home rules, racing will be cancelled.

In Singapore, our stable continues to operate as does racing at Kranji - also under very strict non-public and limited personnel rules. Traditionally there are usually two race meetings every weekend, in these uncertain times, this has been reduced to racing on Fridays only.

Last week we had nearly a total of 50m of rain at Te Akau Stud which means the farm is recovering from the cruel drought. You can really see the fertiliser we put on beginning to work its magic.

Thankfully, the stock have all come through the drought in
pretty good shape and I am happy with their condition.

Have a safe week and take very extra special care - the Te Akau tangerine will be back bigger than ever in the new season - and for that we can't wait.

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