Te Akau Thursday Update

David writes:

Obviously not many racing administrators race horses. If they did we would have an all-weather track. What a joke it was at Taupo having trials before the first race. By the time the first race started the track was stuffed. Might I add that it's not the local club's fault that the rain came but we simply shouldn't be trialling horses before the races.

Some people say close racing down for three months during winter but what do the commentator, judge, starter, jockeys, trainers, racing club staff, judicial committees etc. do for income? Of course there will also always be horses that, for winter, this season is their "day in the sun" as they are off-track types who can handle the bogs.

This idea of closing racing down is not worth discussing in my view - what we should be doing is having an all-weather track where we can trial every week and race each Wednesday through July, August and even September.

If there is no racing how do you get your horses fit for the Hawkes Bay Carnival and other major Spring assignments?

This is the one last time I will say this:

1. The cost of maintaining 50 racetracks in New Zealand is holding our industry back.

2. We can't close any courses at present because we need every one to keep trialling through the wet winter months.

3. An all-weather track would avoid meetings being cancelled through surface water etc. and would mean that some of our courses could be closed down. This would mean more money would be available for stake money and better facilities at the racetracks that remain.

4. Hold trials if absolutely necessary on raceday but please not before the first race PLEASE.

I enjoyed watching the New Zealand thoroughbred racing awards on TV last night, well done to all the people who received awards.

I thought easily the best speaker was James McDonald. Well done to NZTR for creating this special award. James is a very successful young guy but I love the fact he is so, so humble. He has a great attitude and is just a great person who never forgets where he came from and who always promotes New Zealand.  Karyn and I went on holiday with him in June in Portugal and watched him riding at Royal Ascot. In total James rode eight winners in England in July.

Today Ken Browne bought me 65 yearlings steers from Stortford Lodge in Hastings while Alan Radford bought 10 yearling fresian bulls. Store cattle have increased in value but I think they are still good buying.

There has been a lot of excitement at Te Akau Stud with the mare Molly Coco, which Karyn owns, foaling a filly by Darci Brahma, our first foal for the season!

I am in Auckland today as I was yesterday meeting with a number of new owners - and just this morning have sold another share in our lovely O'Reilly colt from Sydney who featured in our last newsletter.  Karyn is enjoying four days with her mother in the South Island and Gemma, the new dog, is an absolute hit!