Te Akau Monday Update

David writes:

It is a glorious autumn day here at the farm and the team is all very busy across every part of the property.  We are busy breaking in our young horses, while another team is handling the 2013 born weanlings (getting them used to stabling, being led and handled and reacquainting themselves with the farrier)!

At midday right on cue, our former farm manager Sam Boyd and David McCarthy arrived to stay with us for a week.  We have not seen Sam since he went journeying across the world last year, crewing a boat - it was just terrific to see him back and looking in great form.  I am sure there will be lots of tales to be told - and heard!

David McCarthy is one of the very best racing journalists you will ever meet and his knowledge of racing is second to none - it is great to have him back at Te Akau as he too is a very dear friend also of Karyn's and of mine.  He used to always take our late lab Karaka for a daily walk - Hilton (aka the "horror") will soon discover David is his new best friend!

Today the May Sale kicked off at Karaka - featuring mostly weanlings with broodmares to come - Jamie Richards is attending today and I will be there tomorrow.

It's not long now either until Mark Walker comes home for a week - he arrives next week and after a week on the farm, we will head to the Gold Coast sale - a sale that has brought us plenty of success!

It's Robyn's last day in the office tomorrow as she embarks on a month-long European trip with a group of girlfriends - we will miss her but know that she will have the best time possible on her first foray onto European soil!  We look forward to hearing all her news when she returns to us (and she will!!) in June.