Te Akau Monday Update
22 March, 2021
David writes:
Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, Te Akau Racing had another massive weekend.
What a thrill it was to win the $400,000 Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks with Amarelinha as well as the $100,000 Group 2 Fusion Electrical Wellington Guineas with Need I Say More - both in wonderful style. Another training feat for Jamie Richards now with 32 Group/Listed wins in New Zealand (plus four in Australia) this season and 10 out of 10 rides from stable rider Opie Bosson on the filly and Johnathan Parkes on the gelding.
NEW ZEALAND TRAINERS' PREMIERSHIP as at 22.3.21
| Wins | 2nds | 3rds | Stakes | Starts | G & L | SR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jamie Richards | 130 | 97 | 68 | $5,239,064 | 628 | 32 | 4.83 |
| 2 | Stephen Marsh | 57 | 54 | 62 | $1,559,001 | 633 | 6 | 11.11 |
| 3 | Allan Sharrock | 38 | 20 | 15 | $835,469 | 153 | 6 | 4.03 |
| 4 | Michael & Matthew Pitman | 37 | 38 | 34 | $793,731 | 339 | 1 | 9.16 |
| 5 | Tony Pike | 37 | 33 | 34 | $680,863 | 225 | 2 | 6.08 |
| 6 | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | 36 | 39 | 31 | $1,783,993 | 315 | 5 | 8.75 |
| 7 | Kelvin Tyler & Aimee Tyler | 27 | 29 | 18 | $579,703 | 208 | 0 | 7.7 |
| 8 | Lisa Latta | 24 | 29 | 32 | $648,985 | 321 | 0 | 13.38 |
| 9 | Kevin Myers | 23 | 31 | 24 | $488,394 | 231 | 0 | 10.04 |
| 10 | Fraser Auret | 23 | 18 | 13 | $262,868 | 179 | 0 | 7.78 |
| 11 | Johno Benner & Hollie Wynyard | 23 | 12 | 5 | $538,246 | 75 | 2 | 3.26 |
| 12 | Andrew Carston | 22 | 19 | 28 | $318,618 | 288 | 0 | 13.09 |
| 13 | Terri Rae | 22 | 14 | 5 | $388,814 | 95 | 2 | 4.32 |
| 14 | Team Rogerson | 19 | 28 | 31 | $612,495 | 441 | 3 | 23.21 |
| 15 | Michael Moroney & Pam Gerard | 19 | 17 | 18 | $552,773 | 234 | 1 | 12.32 |
Amarelinha's Oaks' win also secured her the 2020/21 NZB Filly of the Year title. She is now the sixth New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year winner for Te Akau. I am told no other stable has produced more than two NZB Filly of the Year winners and I am not sure if that is right but it is just so rewarding for Karyn and me to see our owners to get such a thrill by winning these big races. This is what makes it all worthwhile.
I would really like to congratulate all the team who have done such a good job with Amarelinha and Need I Say More. From the day they came to the farm after I had bought them from the Karaka Sale, to the day Enzo and the team started to break them in at the farm and looked after them then and now when they spell here. To Jamie and our stable team - you also all do so much for our horses and our owners - winning the Oaks was just the icing on the cake of what has been a stellar season. A massive congratulations to all our team members - well done!
I am so proud of our stable jockey, Opie Bosson, who just rode this horse just beautifully - she is Opie's 83rd Group 1 winner and he holds the all-time Group 1 record for a New Zealand jockey. She provided Jamie with his 13th Group 1 win for this season and 44th career Group 1 win overall.
Saturday's Group 1 Oaks' win was the third time Te Akau has won an Oaks. The first time we won an Oaks' race was in Australia with Crystal Palace, who was ridden by Brian York, claiming the Group 1 Queensland Oaks. The second time was here in New Zealand with Princess Coup who was ridden by Opie Bosson, and now Amarelinha, who again was ridden by Opie.
Speaking of Te Akau Group 1 winners, wasn't it brilliant to see a Darci Brahma gelding (Sky Darci) win the Group 1 Hong Kong Derby on Sunday evening! It is a very prestigious race and we can be proud that New Zealand bred horses won half the card on the big day of racing at Sha Tin.
I do read a lot of international racing news and enjoy stories on British racing. Recently I was fascinated to read a column written by Mark Johnson, one of the leading trainers in England. He stated that first prize in a major race in Saudi Arabia was worth more than every Group 1 race run in England this last season.
What this tells me is how lucky we are to have a Minister for Racing that helped the industry so much during the last year, especially during the Covid 19 pandemic. While he is no longer in Parliament, there is some further promising news coming from our new Minister who is also the Deputy Prime Minister.
I was particularly encouraged to read Rt Hon Grant Roberston's comments in the New Zealand Herald on Saturday morning, when he said he wasn't satisfied with the range of candidates put forward for the TAB New Zealand Board.
He wasn't going to rubber stamp these crucial appointments as had often been done in the past and in fact he extended the nomination deadline so the search for the right people could be widened. It is just so important that we learn from mistakes that have been made in the past and get the best possible people for this new board. To have people that are former employees of the original TAB at a time when it performed so badly is not acceptable to anybody.
Well done to Grant Robertson - this is simply something that we have got to get right this time, end of story.
At the farm we have been very busy. When have nearly finished the fencing for our four new colt paddocks and the plane has been busy flying on 850 ton of lime and 400 ton of super phosphate. The Wealleans trucks have also just finished fertilising all the flat country. By the end of the week, we will have fertilised 2200 acres by truck and 1800 acres by plane.
Have a great week and best of luck to all owners with runners this week.
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