Te Akau Team Member of the Month

Te Akau's "Team Member of the Month" award for August has been announced.

Joe Kamaruddin - one of Te Akau Racing's apprentice riders based at our Matamata stable has been named August's "Team Member of the Month" ...

“He's a little champion,” said trainer Jamie Richards. “He walks into work each morning at 3.45 a.m., always with a smile on his face, and he's happy to help with anything that needs to be done. He's a pleasure to have around.

“He's taking a little while to find his first winner, but sits well on a horse, claims 4kgs of weight relief, and I'm confident it won't be long until he will really start kicking home some winners when the tracks start to improve.”

Joe Kamaruddin:

What I like most about the job  is riding work in the mornings, winter or summer, and there is no stress. And I like the people I work with because they are happy and I enjoy seeing them every morning. It is a very good team spirit and I like this job.

David (Ellis) is very good  because he's helped me with everything, talks to me and helps me to understand.

I love riding in races and it's a learning experience. It's different and I like it, but I'm still learning. I get help after the races from Opie (Bosson) and Michael (McNab) and Troy Harris. Troy Harris is a good man and he helps me.

I like apprentice school and Noel Harris helps me too. I like talking with Noel Harris and understand when he talks to me because he rode a lot in Malaysia and knows a little bit of Malay. Not too much, but a little bit.

My favourite horses  are Melody Belle and Te Akau Shark. I also like Burgundy Belle and she won easy last start. I ride Burgundy Belle every morning. She's a nice horse, but a little bit busy going to the track. She is getting better and quieter after the racing.

I like riding horses because of the challenges and I know I don't have a winner yet. My heart is like fire (to win), because Chelsea (Burdan - Te Akau apprentice) has ridden winners, and my challenge is to ride a winner. Every day I watch replays, Google and watch jockeys riding in races to see what they do, and I'm trying my best. I want to take up the challenge.

Jamie (Richards) is very good to work for.  He asks me every day if everything is okay and he takes care of me. He's a nice man, but and tells me what I need to be doing. I do whatever Jamie asks me to do and I'm learning everything.

Matamata is a nice, quiet place.  Summer is beautiful here, but winter time it's gets dark early and I can't do much. 

Sometimes I miss home  (Kelantan, Malaysia) and miss my family. But every night I video call my Mum, brother and sister, and then I can sleep. Suppy (Rusof) and Harry Kasim are from the same place. 

David (Ellis) and Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) introduced the award as a way of saying thanks to all the staff, from themselves, and also on behalf of the owners, in appreciation that the horses are given every opportunity to fulfil their potential. 

“I keep saying that because these people love horses they're prepared to get up at 3.30 a.m. in winter and summer, rain, hail, and shine, six days a week,” Ellis said. 

“We create opportunities for young people to get involved in a thoroughbred business that we try to run as professionally as we can, and also employ people that have spent their careers working in the industry and bring enormous amounts of experience.”

The staff member of the month receives a $500 cash prize and overall winner an all expenses paid trip for two to the Gold Coast.

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