Te Akau Sunday Update

David writes:

What another great weekend for Te Akau!

It all started on Friday night when Mark Walker, our Te Akau Singapore trainer, recorded two really good wins and Jason Bridgman, our New Zealand trainer, prepared Abidewithme to win the biggest race of the weekend in New Zealand - the $100,000 Group 2 Travis Stakes at Te Rapa.

Abidewithme is the second mare that we have trained with the Cambridge Stud brand - the other being King's Rose and we all know how good the multiple trans-Tasman Group winner was.  King's Rose won the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas as well as the Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic and was named NZB Filly of the Year in her 3YO season.

It was a great thrill to win the Cambridge Jockey Club's biggest race of the year with a mare owned by a Past President of that Club in Sir Patrick Hogan and his wife Justine, Lady Hogan.  Sir Patrick has been a very big supporter of Te Akau and has always had a couple of horses in work with us since 1987.

Today we have friends and owners coming to the farm and Karyn and I have been busy working in the office since 6.30am this morning.

We now only have one 10% share remaining in the Smart Missile filly that I purchased in Sydney and she is one of the most special fillies I have bought in the last decade I think.

If you are serious about getting a decent racehorse, you need to treat yourself and take a share in this filly who I rate at the same sort of level as the likes of Princess Coup and Integrate at this same stage of development.  She is truly stunning and her riders are very impressed.

Tonight we will be settling in and watching our Singapore team and we have some great chances at Kranji too.