Te Akau Monday Update

David writes:

It was another weekend to remember for Te Akau owners and our team.

What a great weekend it was - five winners, two black-type victories, and success across three different tracks: Trentham, Riccarton, and Melbourne. These kinds of weekends are ones to celebrate, they’re a wonderful reminder of everything that goes into preparing horses to perform at the highest level. It's a genuine team achievement, and we couldn’t be prouder.

A massive congratulations to our owners and also a heartfelt thank you to every single member of our team - whether working with the horses on the ground, behind the scenes in logistics or admin, and our professional partners. Days like this are only possible because of your dedication, expertise, and the care you give to each and every one of our horses. 

We see your commitment every day, we value it, and we’re incredibly grateful.

One of the standout performances on Saturday came from Almanzor mare Mehzebeen, who ran a stormer in the Listed Hawke’s Bay Gold Cup. She’s a mare with a big engine and an even bigger heart, and this latest performance has only confirmed that she’s got what it takes to make a major impact on the staying ranks. She already announced her arrival in the staying ranks with victories during NZ Cup Week in the Listed Metropolitan Handicap and Group 3 New Zealand Cup.

Mehzebeen has now won six races and over $550,000 in prize money for her owners Sarai Stud, M & Y Davis, D & S Rolston, S Waddell, R & B Duncan, and T & K Howe.

Full credit to part owner Danny Rolston, who selected her - Danny, as many of you know, was formerly the Bloodstock Manager at New Zealand Bloodstock and now heads up the Ownership Department at the Hong Kong Jockey Club. He’s got a terrific eye for a horse and he assembled a great group of owners around Mehzebeen, and it’s exciting to think what she might go on to do.

At Riccarton, it was a banner day for our team, delivering three winners that we’re absolutely thrilled with. Dream of the Moon was another highlight, stepping up and securing a black-type win with real authority. It was terrific to see her win the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes after being previously five times stakes' placed. She’s a filly who keeps raising the bar, and this latest performance only strengthens her reputation as one to follow.

Also at Riccarton, we saw a brilliant Te Akau quinella in a strongly contested race, with Knowledge Is Power finishing powerfully to win, followed home by a determined Hooray For Harry in second. It was fantastic to see these two stablemates deliver such a result - they’re both talented, tough, and improving all the time. And to cap it off, Star Shadow added to the celebration with a stylish victory of her own - she’s really coming into her own and has plenty more to give.

Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson continue to lead the Trainers' Premiership with 104 wins this season, the most Group/Listed wins (16), and most prize money with over $8.5 million, a stable record - over $2.4 million ahead of the next stable.

After Saturday's winning Kiwi quartet, it was time for our Australian stable to enjoy success! 

Our grand campaigner Leaderboard backed up after last weekend's victory with a dominant display to win the A$75,000 JEH Spencer Memorial Steeplechase over 4000m at Pakenham with Will Gordon aboard.  He is well and truly on song for the upcoming Warrnambool Carnival.  With The Mighty Spar finishing second and Prismatic in third on Sunday too, that carnival is one we are eagerly awaiting with that trio ready for action!

I’ve just returned from the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney, where we were delighted to secure three beautiful yearlings: a Snitzel colt, a Street Boss filly, and an I Am Invincible filly. The Snitzel and Street Boss horses were quickly snapped up - no surprises there - but we still have two shares available in the I Am Invincible filly. She really is something special- possibly the closest type I’ve seen to Imperatriz since Imperatriz herself. 

If you’re interested in jumping on board, give me a call on 021 925 151. She won’t last long.

Back on the farm, we’ve had some welcome rain, and it's looking great. The grass is finally surging after a slower patch, and this week we’re spreading fertiliser across the flats. Next week, we’ll bring in the plane and get the hill country done too. More rain is forecast mid-week, which should give us another boost and set us up well heading into winter.

We’ve got the ewe hoggets in today - they’re being drenched and will be shorn tomorrow. The main mob of ewes will be done in a couple of weeks. It’s also good to see some positive movement in the markets - beef prices are at record highs, and even wool, which has been tough going for the past two decades, is starting to show signs of life again. It’s been a long time coming, but we’ll take the wins where we can.

One thing I do want to touch on is the lack of racing at Hawke’s Bay. It’s incredibly disappointing. That track is one of the country's strategic venues in my opinion - especially in spring when others struggle with wet conditions - and it plays a vital role in our calendar. Yes, there was a setback a few months ago, but it’s time now for everyone in the industry to come together and find a solution. We need Hawke’s Bay racing again, plain and simple.

Finally, we still have a few Karaka and Magic Millions' yearling shares available. And it’s funny - some of our best horses took a little while to sell. Group 1 winners Sword of Osman, Cool Aza Beel, Avantage, and of course Imperatriz were all in that boat. So if you’re thinking about getting involved, don’t wait too long - you never know which one could be the next star.

Best of luck to all our owners with runners this week - and as always ...

GO THE TANGERINE!!