Monday Update

Date: 15 Apr 2013

Monday Update

Catch up on all the latest news from Te Akau's David Ellis.

David writes:

All the talk at Te Akau Stud today is about the weather!

We have ploughed up and levelled about 80 acres and have sown grass seed - and if we get good rain today it will be marvellous as the grass will come through quickly with the warm weather we still have.  The best news is the skies are looking very grey indeed!

Karyn and I enjoyed our last week in Sydney at the sales.  Very strong at the top and weakish in the middle and awful at the bottom end - most New Zealand breeders would have done better if their yearling was in at Karaka.

I am still a bit disappointed at missing out on the Redoute's Choice/Zarzuela colt and woke up last night dreaming he had just won a Derby - but you simply can't beat Sheik Hamdan in the ring - he actually bought Zabeel as a yearling and then when he finished racing, sold him to Sir Patrick Hogan.

We have three chances in at Avondale today including the Julia-Rose Ellis part owned Riedel.  JR is very excited and is going to Avondale to represent us.

We took three potential jumpers to Ann Browne's property yesterday to prepare for jumping careers - under the guidance of Tom Hazlett.  Tom and I both love our jumping and Tom is a genuis at getting these young horses going.

Last week we supported a promotion to help the Paeroa races - it is essential in my mind that we get an all-weather track that can be used for racing and trialling through June, July and August.  Anyway, the $2000 we gave to the Club put us into a draw to win a prize of $15,000 and we were rung in Sydney by Waikato Racing Club Chairman David Smith to inform us that Te Akau Stud had actually won TWO prizes - the $15,000 first prize as well as another smaller draw for $500.

Today we started breaking in another four yearlings - two colts and two fillies.  A Sakhee's Secret/Caparison filly, a Road to Rock/Pteridophyte filly and also an Iffraaj colt and our High Chaparral/Our Echezeaux colt.  He would have to be one of the most impressive yearlings I have ever bought.

Have a great week - off now to prepare for guests staying tonight - Karyn is off to Hamilton as tonight the Waikato Racing Club, of which she is a Board member, is busy interviewing candidates for its General Manager position with the retirement of Tony Enting.

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