Te Akau Monday Update

Karyn and I had a great week in Sydney at the sales and we enjoyed some fantastic racing at Randwick over the weekend.  Whilst the weather didn't play its part and the Club was disappointed to have a heavy track and fewer numbers than hoped for on course, it was still a magic day in many ways.

It was our first experience of Royal Randwick's new stand and it certainly takes a bit of getting used to with the horses now parading out the back (and returning there afterwards).  It was just unbelievable to see two significant New Zealand victories - the Kiwi bred Criterion winning the Derby, a horse who was bred by Waikato based Blandford Lodge and the also the Waikato Stud bred Sacred Falls who won the Doncaster for the second year in the row.

You cannot promote a New Zealand bred horse better than actually winning the two big races on Derby Day in Sydney.  One thing that Karyn and I reflected on was the wonderful trot that O'Reilly has had in the last month.  Our owners who bought shares in the O'Reilly/Grand Echezeaux colt for $375,000 must be very pleased with themselves.  We are also sure that the new owners of our super O'Reilly/Happily Ever After filly who cost $75,000 and our $110,000 O'Reilly/Know All filly must be equally as delighted.  They represent real quality and were unbelievably good value.

This morning after checking all the horses on the farm we are bringing eight yearlings from the sales in to start being broken in.  They are seven fillies and one colt.  Yesterday at the South Island Sale we bought a Coat's Choice colt out of an Encosta De Lago mare for $21,000 which we will be selling in due course.  He arrives home at the farm tomorrow.

There is a lot of anticipation this week at Te Akau Stud with the rain that is forecast as unfortunately we have missed most of the rain that has occurred in the Waikato in the last three weeks.  We are very hopeful that we get some good rain this week as tomorrow we are putting 60 ton of DAP on so once the rain will come the grass will absolutely explode.