Te Akau Saturday Update

David writes:

Seldom do I get such a thrill as I did yesterday when Chambord won the $50,000 Listed Levin Stakes at Otaki.

Let me share my reasons why - firstly he is a lovely older horse who until now had only had stakes' placings, including a Group 1 second in the NZ 2000 Guineas behind the ill-fated Atlante.

Secondly he is a horse who has battled different injuries and set-backs throughout his career which undoubtedly meant that we have never seen how truly talented he is. I remember really well how he was the favourite for the Group 2 Coupland's Bakeries' Mile in NZ Cup Week 2014 and he bowed a tendon the day before the event.

My hat goes off to his owners because they have stuck with him and believed in him and their patience has certainly been rewarded.

It seemed very fitting that Chambord became the 145th stakes' winner for his late sire Zabeel with the fantastic news breaking on Wednesday that Cambridge Stud had been sold by Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan but would remain in Kiwi ownership - with Jo and Brendan Lindsay confirmed as the purchasers - just such good news for the industry!

I am also thrilled that Chambord produced Te Akau's 7th Group/Listed victory for the season - and that is in just four months!   I am also proud that after only two full seasons of training, our co-trainer Jamie Richards has now had 28 black type wins including 10 at Group 1 level.

Please see the latest Premiership table from NZ Thoroughbred racing - Te Akau has by far the best strike rate of the top 10 stables.

I am only 10 days away from starting my yearling inspections for the upcoming January Yearling Sales at Karaka.  Each night I spend a few hours doing pedigree research and I am really looking forward to the sale - but first, we are selling the final shares in the very promising two year olds that I purchased at the Ready to Run Sale.

There are shares left in three horses and I can tell you that these are beauties - there is no rhyme, reason or logic as to which horses sell first or last, and so often our last to sell have achieved great things.

Our Alamosa colt (below) is out of a Snitzel mare (and we know his track record)!  This horse will race in Singapore where he will be trained by Te Akau's Mark Walker.  This is a stunning colt who will be eligible for the new Singapore season's $85,000 maiden races - the stakes are lucrative in Singapore and it is well worth getting involved in this colt - he is a stunning individual with now only one share available!

Speaking of Singapore - Mark celebrated his 86th season win last night at Kranji and is still 23 wins ahead on the Trainers' Premiership.  He cannot be caught and will be crowned Champion Trainer again for 2017 - a feat he first achieved in 2015 - to add to his five New Zealand titles.  The last day of the Singapore season is Sunday - did you know that if the trainer running second behind Mark on the Premiership won every single race on Sunday's card, he would still be 11 wins behind Mark!

Lot 25 from the Ready to Run Sale is a gelding by a son of Encosta de Lago in Delago Deluxe.  This horse is out of an Exceed and Excel mare who is out of a Zabeel mare.  I absolutely love this pedigree. After the sale, this lad went straight to our Matamata stable to continue his education.

We believe that this horse will be ready to race in five or six weeks - Jamie Richards has been riding him and he tells me he is a ripper of a type and we only have two shares now available in him!

Finally ...

Lot 154 is a striking filly by a sire who was a superstar on the track and who is a stallion going places in So You Think.  I think he is a really exciting sire in the making - So You Think of course also won two Group 1 WS Cox Plates in his 14 win career.

This impressive filly was purchased by me for $175,000 and we only now have two shares remaining in her.  She is currently spelling at Te Akau Stud and will return to training, heading to our stable in about 10-12 days.  She is out of a stakes' performed Thorn Park mare, who is out of a Pentire mare, who in turn is out of a mare by In The Purple.  Great staying bloodlines these!

I REALLY love this filly so if you have dreamed about winning a Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas with a filly then you need to take a share in this lass.

Good luck to all of our owners with horses racing today - and GO THE TANGERINE!

Premierships are based on performances during each racing season (August 1st - July 31st). The jockey and trainer with the most wins at the end of the season are the Premiership winners. These statistics are updated daily.