Te Akau Monday Update

David writes:

What an extraordinary weekend for Te Akau with six wins in just over 24 hours!!

Although Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards had a great Saturday at Ellerslie with Gingernuts winning the Group 2 Avondale Guineas and Splurge also saluting the judge, the weekend undoubtedly belonged to our Te Akau Singapore trainer Mark Walker.

Mark won four of the first five races at Kranji on Sunday including a quinella and two other second placings.  Mark now leads the Trainers' Premiership in Singapore and Steve and Jamie are second on the New Zealand Premiership but well in front in the important statistic of prize money won (for our owners).

Following the scintillating win of Gingernuts in the Avondale Guineas, having missed the start by almost five lengths and still being last as they turned for home, we have made the decision to late nominate him for the Group 1 NZ Derby.  When nominations for that race were being done, Gingernuts had been injured and turned out for a spell.  It was almost impossible to think that he could have run in the Derby - he didn't even trial until December.  The owners believe in the horse who we know as "Jerry" and are happy to pay the late fee.

I won my first Avondale Guineas 22 years ago with a horse that I bought out of a paddock in Victoria for $15,000.  Few Are Chosen (as he as subsequently named) was trained by Stephen Autridge and in more recent times Te Akau has won the race with Tell A Tale, who I bought for Fortuna Syndicators, and also with Icepin.  Icepin was raced by my great friend, the late Herbie Dyke.  So Gingernuts has become Te Akau's fourth win in this traditional lead up to the NZ Derby.

Gingernuts will be ridden by Opie Bosson in the Derby and our other entrant Beaumarchais will be ridden by Michael McNab.

Over the weekend we had over 100mls of rain which completely ruined the chances of all of our Gisborne runners yesterday with the track coming up a Heavy 10 - in the middle of summer!  The only upside of all this rain is that is really makes for great grass growth on the farm.

This week I am concentrating on selling shares in one of the best fillies I bought at Karaka ... Lot 21 - she is an O'Reilly filly out of Zantelagh.

Each night after dinner, I drive around the farm doing my evening yearling inspections, studying every individual and watching how they have settled in, thinking about the promise and potential of each one and really just dreaming about these future racehorses.  We have some serious horses of the future that I have bought from the sales.

I am totally in love with this filly and Karyn and I are both taking a share in her.

Watching her canter around her big, green paddock - she has the biggest stride I have seen for some time in a filly.  She also has a massive depth of girth (crucial to house a big heart and lungs) and a very powerful back end (the diesel engine) - two qualities I always try and purchase.  Importantly she also has a terrific temperament.

This filly really reminds me of Princess Coup - a filly that I purchased for a similar price.  Princess Coup won four Group 1 races including two $2 million races.  She won Group races on both sides of the Tasman and still to this day holds the New Zealand record for domestic prize money won.  Her total career stakes came to about $4 million before she was sold as a broodmare for about $3.5 million.  She won the Group 1 Oaks and was Champion 3YO as well as NZB Filly of the Year.  She trained on the be Champion Sprinter Miler (twice) and Champion Stayer of the Year.

This O'Reilly filly has the same class - and remember - there will be NO MORE O'Reilly's - with the great sire now sadly deceased, these are his final yearlings and this is your very last chance to snare your share of one of his daughters.  She is simply a stunning filly - look at her poise!

A 10% share in her is $21,700 plus GST (including sales' expenses and all veterinary and X-ray checks and inspections) and a 5% share is $10,850 plus GST.   The ongoing costs for a 10% share are only around $75 per week and half that for a 5% share.

If you would like to be involved in this gorgeous girl and race her with Karyn and me - please call us on 07 825 4701 or email Karyn - [email protected]

PS - did you know that at the 2015 Karaka Ready to Run Sale I only purchased two horses - Group 1 winner Hall of Fame and Group 2 Avondale Guineas' winner Gingernuts!