Te Akau Monday Update

David writes:

I got home from Melbourne last night after a busy weekend in Australia, Karyn picking me up from the airport.  We had no luck with Xtravagant who finished eighth in the Group 1 Australian Guineas but the good news is that he has come through the race in great shape and will fly back to New Zealand on Wednesday.

There has been a lot of comment about Xtravagant and the vast majority has been hugely supportive and positive.  All I will say is that I am very proud of the season this colt has had.  I think he has been really well trained, very well ridden and very well placed and he will have a very exciting four year old season ahead of him.

I have been shown some of the comments in the media and pasted around social media that have been written by various people on Xtravagant - and all I can say on that is that as General MacArthur said "I shall return".

Xtravagant remember has had a fabulous season, winning races at Ellerslie, Trentham, Riccarton and Te Rapa.  He trialled in August 2015, had his first start for the season at Ruakaka on 11 September, then ran third at Te Rapa on 7 October.  Following that he won the Guineas' Trial at Trentham on 24 October, after which he won the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas on 7 November in Christchurch, he won the 3YO race at Ellerslie on 26 December - he went back to Trentham on 16 January and rang 4th in Group 1 Levin Classic and then returned to Te Rapa to claim the Group 1 NRM Sprint on 13 February - and finished 8th in the Group 1 Australian Guineas on 5 March.

All up he has had nine races for five wins, a third and a fourth - his total winning margins come to 25.5 lengths - for stake earnings of $423,750.  So I am unbelievably proud of him.

It was a terrific atmosphere at Flemington on Saturday.  The owners of Xtravagant had a lovely room very close to the parade ring which was theirs for the day and everyone thoroughly enjoyed a premier Flemington day.

Our focus now turns to the Group 1 Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie this Saturday, Auckland Cup day.  We have two runners in the Group 1 2YO race - Sassy 'N' Smart and Heroic Valour.  Jonathan Riddell is flying up today to ride Heroic Valour in a track gallop at the Ellerslie course tomorrow morning, joining Matt Cameron who will be there to accompany the Sassy one!  Both the colt and the filly have come through their recent racing in great shape.

Heroic Valour of course made it two wins from two starts when winning the Listed Matamata Slipper at his last start whist Sassy 'N' Smart was a whisker behind in second place after drawing wide in the Group 2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes - narrowly beaten by the half-sister to the Savabeel filly that I purchased from the Gold Coast sale in January.

We are full on at the farm with breaking in our yearlings and it is an absolute pleasure seeing them working here at the farm.  We only now have shares available in two horses from the sales - one is a filly who has really taken my eye and quite frankly I am stunned that she has any shares left in her at all!  That's her below and also the main picture.

She is a Pour Moi filly out of a Zabeel mare and she has really impressed everyone who has handled her and she has a half sister in the stable who is showing a ton of ability.  Pour Moi is a stallion that I believe has a huge future of being a truly successful sire - he is of course by Montjeu who has sired four English Derby winners, including Pour Moi himself - Montjeu of course is by Sadler's Wells, he by Northern Dancer - so a filly with a superb pedigree and family.

A 10% share in this filly is $17,600 plus GST and a 5% share only $8800 plus GST

This filly has a beautiful action when she stretches out galloping in her paddock and everyone at the farm rates her very highly and we can't wait to start breaking her in soon!

THERE ARE ONLY TWO SHARES LEFT IN THIS FILLY WHOSE PEDIGREE ENSURES GREAT RESIDUAL VALUE.

The only other yearling that we have a small share available in is the Commands colt that we are advertising this week.  It is just incredible the success we have had over the years with the horses that are amongst the last to sell!  I am scratching my head too as to why this colt hasn't been snapped up - but that's no problem as Karyn and I will be thrilled to race him ourselves with the other smart owners who have gotten involved with him.

A 10% share in this colt is $14,500 plus GST, a 5% share is $7250 plus GST

Just going back to racing at Flemington on Saturday - it was interesting that only four horses in the Australian Guineas had won more prizemoney than Xtravagant despite the huge stakes they have in Australia.  It was also interesting talking to friends of mine who race horses in Australia, they were telling me just how expensive training fees in Australia have become and I can see what good value New Zealand trainers provide to Australian owners.

With the sale of practically all the yearlings from the Gold Coast and from Karaka, our attention now turns to the Sydney Sales where we well might buy another yearling or two and each night this week I am busy going through every pedigree of the young horses on offer to see if we can secure another Sassy 'N' Smart this year!