Te Akau Team Member of the Month

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

Te Akau is proud to introduce you to our Team Member of the Month for September - Ashley Handley ...

“Ashley has really stepped up to the plate since she's been over in Australia looking after three horses (Avantage, Probabeel, and Te Akau Shark) and done a beautiful job for us,” said trainer Jamie Richards.

“Nothing is ever a problem and she goes out of her way to make sure the horses are cared for in the most professional way possible.

“The horses want for nothing and get extremely well looked after as they build into some of their bigger assignments.  

Ashley Handley:

What I like most about my job is seeing horses going from little bubbas and getting the likes of the three horses I'm looking after in Australia, and Melody Belle, and seeing all horses achieve the best that they can. 

I'm a stable-hand and ride the horses, do some ground work and travel with the horses when they need someone to take them. A bit of everything, really. 

I admire a lot about the people I work with: Jamie (Richards) is great and the way he does it all. He's got me and everyone absolutely flabbergasted how he does it. It's great having Paul (Richards) and older people that are senior and have so much experience and who are willing to give advice whenever you need it. Everyone works hard and it's good that there are enough people. 

I find it really cool to work for Te Akau Racing: I've worked in quite a few smaller places, but I actually really enjoy a bigger stable and having the quality of horses is amazing. You know that when you're going somewhere they're going to be competitive.

The team spirit is pretty cool: We've got three barns, and when I'm at home I'm usually at the main barn but everyone still wants the stable to be winning races, or winning the premiership, no matter which barn they're from. So it feels like everyone is all in it together.

David (Ellis) is a good boss to work for: It's good when he comes around and everyone wants to be there and talk to him. Like, it's great they've got this team member of the month award. We've got the horses to work for, but when you get it you feel you've really achieved something and being recognised for what you do. And David and Karyn put money behind it, so it's really good of them to do that.

It has been great coming over here with these horses, another highlight so far was probably taking Burgundy Belle to Trentham, when she won down there, because she was the first winner I led in for Te Akau. It was a good trip away and she got the money.

It's hard to work out favourite horses, but the ones I'm away with are pretty cool and I've been with for over a month, now. There's a couple of the young one I liked riding when I was at home. Lady Roxanne was one - she is pretty, but she's also fast. She's had a bit of cheek about her but she actually likes doing what she's doing, which is good. Opie (Bosson) rode her recently in a trial and got on with her really well too. 

Pretty much my whole family is in the racing industry. I'm bred into it. I tried to get out of it, but it's not that easy when you grow up with jockeys and trainers and everything with the family. 

I like how central Matamata is to everything. It's in a nice little country area, but it's still central to all the race tracks without being too busy. 

David (Ellis) and Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) introduced the award as a way of saying thanks to all the team, 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 our 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 team member of the month receives a cash prize and overall winner an all expenses paid trip for two to the Gold Coast.

Ashley (main picture) with Probabeel (L) & Te Akau Shark (R) post-ocean swim and above with Avantage on race day

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