Te Akau Monday Update

David writes:

It really is an exciting time to be part of Te Akau Racing.  Karyn and I got a huge thrill at Matamata on Saturday in seeing our stable jockey Matthew Cameron record his 1000th career win in an important black type race.  This milestone came aboard a beautiful Fastnet Rock colt Heroic Valour, a half brother to the multiple Group winner Triple Honour who won the Group 1 Doncaster in Sydney.

For Matt to achieve 1000 wins, whilst still in his 20's, is a truly amazing performance.  We are all unbelievably proud of him.

Heroic Valour is a very exciting colt and will only have two further races as a two year old - both in Group 1's - namely the Diamond Stakes on Auckland Cup Day and the Manawatu Sires' Produce at the end of March at Awapuni.

Last year at the Karaka Sale I put a breeding syndicate together to buy two colts and a filly and this is the first of the trio to race. It was terrific to see so many of his owners, who had come from all around the world, on course to enjoy their colt making it two wins from two starts.  Jonathon and Nicola had flown in from Canada and the Langdale-Hunt's from Australia, joined by most of his New Zealand owners, so it really was a very special occasion.

When you win a black type race with a two year old Fastnet Rock colt, you know you have a serious horse in the making and I think the sky could be the limit for this colt.  I am already looking forward to having him at Riccarton for the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas as Te Akau looks for its sixth success in this race in the past 12 years.

Heroic Valour has now become Fastnet Rock's 90th stakes' winner and of course I actually bought his full brother this year at the Karaka Premier Sale for $510,000 and he is part of our 2016 Te Akau Breeding Syndicate.

In the Group 2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes - another race in which Te Akau has a formidable record - my opinion is that only the draw beat Sassy 'N' Smart who was having her first race since her stakes' win at Riccarton three and a half months ago during NZ Cup Week.  So the improvement from her will be dramatic - she does have serious ability and came within a whisker of making it two stakes' wins from three starts.  She too looks likely to head towards the two Group 1 2YO assignments along with Heroic Valour, these are only two Group 1 races for this age group every season.  She will then have a spell as we get ready to prepare her for the Group 1 NZB NZ 1000 Guineas also in November at Riccarton - a race we have won four times.

In between the two 2YO races at Matamata, we took time out to watch Bordeaux race in the St Leger Trial at Otaki.  This is a horse that is really coming of age!  I am really looking forward to taking him to Australia next season for some big staying events.  He has won five of his last seven starts and of course is the half brother to the Karaka Sales' topping Frankel colt from this year.

Other fabulous news includes the beautiful rain we are getting at the farm right now.

Today I am on my way to Matamata to see all of our horses including Xtravagant who flies out to Melbourne on Wednesday with Dan Miller.  On Saturday he will contest the A$750,000 Group 1 Australian Guineas which has attracted a red-hot field. He is in great order and we could not be more happy with him as he takes this big step up to international competition.

Finally we would like to congratulate a very important member of our Te Akau team - Kris Shailer and his new wife Nicole who were married at Matamata yesterday - congratulations to you both from everyone.  We wish you a long and happy life together.