Te Akau Thursday Update

David writes:

It's amazing when I get a little too busy to write an update for our website how many people say to us that they miss it - and what is happening at Te Akau!

However I have just had one of those weeks when even time is on a waiting list!  I guess that this week we have tried to fit five days' work into four days so everything is 100% on the farm for Easter as of course we are away to Sydney tomorrow.  We are just so lucky we have great staff here when we are not on the farm.

This year we have been on fire with our Singapore stable and hardly a race day has gone by where we haven't won races but yesterday it was the turn of our Matamata stable to fire - we had a 100% strike rate with both of our runners winning well.  It must be the worst year ever for all the Matamata stables most of which have had a cough or virus through them.  Thankfully it is over now and the virus has no long-term consequences.  I am so grateful that our owners have been so understanding.

Scrutinize, our two year old who won yesterday, was very impressive in my opinion, and he has a very exciting future ahead of him.  I bought this Savabeel colt out of the dual Group 1 winning mare Legs for $200,000.  He was a late-ish foal and a little immature at sale time but I could see that in 12 months' time we would have a pretty exciting colt to work with - if I have ever seen a Guineas' colt, he is one.  I am thrilled for his small team of owners.

The other winner we had was also by a Waikato Stud stallion - this time Pins.  Named Astrid, this filly was bought by me from the draft of Trelawney Stud and was bred by Joan Egan and Brent and Cherry Taylor.  Joan Egan and her husband Peter own Greenlea, the meat company and we sell it around 2000 cattle annually.  This maiden race was one of the NZ Bloodstock Insurance Pearl Series races and had a $11,000 bonus attached to the $12,000 stake - what a great result for her owners, which include Joan.

Last night Karyn and I went to a wonderful intimate function at Waikato Stud to celebrate Mary Chittick's 70th birthday and what a special occasion it was.

Today Te Akau's Racing Manager Jamie Richards has been inspecting the Sydney yearlings at William Inglis for me and tomorrow Karyn and I will fly to Sydney for the races on Saturday and then attend the sales.  Keep an eye on our website to find out about any purchases that we make.

The selling of our Karaka yearlings can only be described as a huge success - almost everything is sold now.  We do still have 5% available in our breeding syndicate - we can split this in to two 2.5% shares - the cost of which is $40,000.  The Fastnet Rock filly who topped the sale and the Fastnet Rock and Snitzel colts are simply stunning - this is an opportunity that is simple not available anywhere else in New Zealand or -we are told - Australia - namely to race the top priced yearling and two stunning colts together as a trio.

Just take a look at them - the FASTNET ROCK COLT OUT OF MYRRH (the half to outstanding Australian Group 1 winner Triple Honour), the SNITZEL COLT OUT OF MINI TALES (from a family full of Group 1 performers) and the FASTNET ROCK FILLY OUT OF THE CHAMPION MARE IL QUELLO VELOCE - in that order below ...

Karyn and I hope you have a great Easter - be safe on those roads (and watch out for all that chocolate - Ed) and the very best of luck to Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan with Abidewithme and the Spellbinder Syndicate with their quest for Group 1 glory on Saturday.