Te Akau Monday Update

David writes:

What amazing weekend weather-wise we had at Te Akau.  Friday started the weekend off in great fashion with our daughter Julia-Rose and her partner Hamish coming to stay with us.

On Friday night Mark Walker yet won another race in Singapore with Clutha Lad, a Thorn Park gelding that I purchased from Karaka for $35,000.  “Duke” as he is known has already won $143,000 and I think as he continues to mature, this 4YO he will win a lot more races.  The main picture is Duke at the New Zealand trials before he went to Singapore.

On Saturday, the team i.e. Sam Boyd, David McCarthy, Julia and Hamish and I went to the Te Rapa races on Saturday where the prestige jumping races were the main attraction.  There was some spectacular jumping especially the steeplechases.  One thing I am determined to do in my life is to get a really good jumper and I am leaving that in the capable hands of Tom Hazlett.

It was a good day at the races and Karyn and her Board put on a good show.  It was nice to see the Club stage a minute's silence in recognition of the sad loss of Lisa Chittick.
At Te Rapa on Saturday is was Jason Bridgman's turn as he saw home his second winner in the past four days.  Jason and the team have done a super job to get Wolfwhistle back into the winner's circle.  He as beautifully ridden by Danielle Johnson and was going away at the line, winning nicely.

Yesterday at the farm we were busy showing owners their horses and I inspected every horse that is spelling on the farm and they are absolutely thriving at the moment on this beautiful grass that we have - and they love the nice warm autumn weather.

Then last night we settled into cheer another winner home for Mark - the very promising Mia who you can read about in the separate story - he is an exciting horse that we have recently be given to train.  He has won four of his five starts - two from two under Mark.

Spellbinder (pictured below today) one of our very best 3YO's, has now had over two months in the spelling paddock and she is going back to the stable today.  She looked a picture this morning before she left and we eagerly look forward to her four year old campaign.

Sam Boyd was up bright and early and he has gone to Auckland to do the grocery shopping and to pick Mark Walker up from the airport - Mark is home at the farm for a week before we go to the Gold Coast sale to buy some more horses the calibre of Integrate, Tell A Tale, Princess Coup and Costa Viva - all of whom I bought out of that sale.

The busy day continues as Karyn is off to Hamilton today to give a media session to the annual Track Managers' Conference and she also has a Waikato Racing Club strategy meeting on Wednesday.

The week is going to have a very sad ending as on Friday we are going to Waikato Stud to celebrate the life of one of the most capable people I have met in racing - Lisa Chittick.  I have known Lisa for some 30 years through my close friendship with her brothers Paul and Lance O'Sullivan - we will never forget her.

Today on the farm we are drafting lambs who will be off tomorrow and we are scanning all the ewes to determine whether or not they are in lamb as if not they will be sold. We are putting fertiliser on today and by Thursday we will be drafting steers and weighing and drenching them before the winter.