Te Akau Sunday Update

David writes:

Karyn and I have had a wonderful Christmas - we spent Christmas Day on the farm with our family and had the traditional lunch and then a quiet evening as first thing on Boxing Day we headed to the Ellerslie races in Auckland - and despite the weather threatening early on, it was a great day's racing.

Abidewithme, a Redoute's Choice mare out of the Zabeel mare Crimson, won for us.  We train her for her breeders Sir Patrick and Justine, Lady Hogan who were over the moon.  She has taken time and has been patiently handled by Jason and she is now unbeaten three from three at Ellerslie.

We didn't have a lot of luck in the Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat with Costa Viva but she still went a very brave race to be beaten into second by only a neck.  Flirty Gertey, our other Eight Carat runner, got completely flattened at the start and lost all chance after that unfortunately.

In the Group 2 Great Northern Guineas, I thought two of our runners went super races. Chambord finished in third with Aspen shadowing him in fourth position - neither had the breaks go their way and I see a good future for both as we head towards Derby in March.

Overall it was a terrific day and congratulations to our stable rider Matt Cameron who was the leading jockey on day and who of course won the Group 1 Zabeel Classic in brilliant style.

Yes it was a big crowd, great atmosphere and I was delighted to see the track in such top condition - a real credit to Cameron George, Butch Castles and Jason Fulford and the team.

Last night we had guests for dinner at Te Akau Stud - we had Mark Johnston and his wife Deirdre and our vet Doug Black and his partner Bernadette.  Mark is a qualified as a veterinary surgeon with Doug Black in Scotland and he then went into training racehorses where he has been a huge success - training over 3500 winners already!

He has trained more than 100 winners for 19 consecutive seasons, achieving success in Classics and numerous Group One races.  It was a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable evening.  Mark became interested in racing through his father's ownership of horses. At 14 he knew he was destined to become a trainer, but decided to study first as a vet and after qualifying worked in veterinary practice for three years.

He married his childhood sweetheart, Deirdre (now assistant trainer) in 1985 and the following year bought his first training yard, in Lincolnshire. Granted a trainer's licence in 1987, he sent out his first winner Hinari Video that summer.

He moved to Middleham in 1988, buying the Kingsley House yard to begin an astonishing success story that has now extended to two further yards, creating a major complex covering 270 acres. His first century of winners came in 1994. He has won the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas, the Ascot Gold Cup three times and the Goodwood Cup five times. His finest horses include Mister Baileys, Shamardal, Attraction, and Double Trigger. He and Deirdre have two sons, Charlie and Angus who are also travelling with them in New Zealand.

It was interesting to be able to talk about the issues and the problems that trainers have in Europe and the one common denominator keeps coming through - stake money must increase more quickly.

Karyn and I are going to spend New Year's Eve in Auckland and will be at the Ellerslie races on New Year's day - what a terrific card they have at Ellerslie with some really top racing.

In the last few days I have been reflecting on the wonderful season that we have had at te Akau.

Firstly on the farm (where we had another 19 mls of rain overnight - a total of 25mls for the week - an inch in the old terms) - we have been fortunate that we have had good prices for our cattle, a nice warm winter, a very good spring and for a change the wind has been blowing - we have a tail wind behind us.

Te Akau Racing stables in New Zealand and in Singapore have been on fire with Jason in front on the New Zealand Trainers' Premiership with an outstanding strike rate and statistics that anyone would be very proud of.  In Singapore, the brand new racing season starts on New Years' Day and I am also very proud as I reflect on the wonderful season Mark had.  To train 73 winners in just his third season in Singapore is a remarkable performance.

The year 2013 had some setbacks with my health as you know but I am pleased to report it is onwards and upwards now and everyday I feel that little bit better. I have a New Year's resolution to buy the best group of yearlings that I have ever bought.  We have certainly looked at more yearlings than ever this year before Xmas and we start again on 6 January, Monday week and it is a hugely busy three weeks.

If you would like to join me in looking at some yearlings, you would be very welcome.  Just drop Karyn an email and we will organise that.

The national yearling sales' series at Karaka starts on 27 January 2014 and I intend to buy a lot of yearlings so that we continue Te Akau's really good run of racetrack success.

All the very best for a wonderful New Year - enjoy New Year's Eve and Karyn and I wish you all the very best of luck for 2014 with all your horses and let's hope that you back plenty of winners.