Te Akau Thursday Update
28 July, 2016
David writes:
It is hard to believe that we are on the "home run" towards returning back to New Zealand after our lovely holiday in Hawaii.
Last night nine of us went out to our favourite restaurant in Honolulu - Michel's - for a big celebration as our trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards have now won the New Zealand Trainers' Premiership. This is such a fantastic accomplishment in their first season training together for Te Akau.
This means that Te Akau Racing has won TWO Premierships this season - the first honours going to Te Akau Singapore trainer Mark Walker who claimed the 2015 Singapore Trainers' Premiership in December last year and who, in January this year, was named Champion Trainer of Singapore. He and his team certainly set the bar and Steve and Jamie and our New Zealand team have continued on with that success.
Even though there are officially four days of the season remaining, Te Akau's tally of 104 winners from the New Zealand season cannot be overtaken. With over $2.1 million in prize money won for our owners and 10 Group and Listed race victories - FOUR at Group 1 level - I can't describe to you how proud I am of all of the team.
I am also thrilled that dual Group 1 and Group 3 winner Xtravagant has been named as a finalist for the Champion 3YO of the Year and Champion Sprinter/Miler of the Year titles at the Horse of the Year Awards on 7 August in Auckland. Unbeaten Group 1 and Listed winner Heroic Valour has been named as a finalist in the Champion 2YO of the Year category and Risque, who we trained to win both the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas and Listed Armadillo Stakes is also a finalist for the Champion 3YO award.
Our New Zealand training team of Steve and Jamie is also one of three nominations for the prestigious Trainer of the Year award. These sorts of results only come about through massive commitment and incredible hard work and dedication - I must be the proudest guy in the world today.
Steve and Jamie - and everyone in the Matamata and Stud teams - heartiest congratulations.
There are five things that you need to have in order to achieve these sorts of results - good horses, astute trainers, outstanding staff, top facilities - and loyal owners - and that is where we are in a league of our own.
Te Akau has the best team of staff of any stable that I have ever been associated with - and this Premiership is all about their hard work, commitment and quite simply - just their complete love for the horses they work with - so a big congratulations to them all.
The restaurant we went to last night is at Diamond Head on the northern side of Waikiki Beach and it is just the most stunning setting with an amazing view - especially at sunset. Our table last night was literally 10 feet away from the ocean. It was also such a thrill for Karyn and me to have Robyn Bregmen, our Administration Manager with us - plus our daughter Julia-Rose who is our marketing and social media chief and her partner Hamish, as well as our stable rider Matt Cameron and his partner Blair.
We are very happy with most of the horses as we head towards the Te Teko trials next week. The brand new season will also see our "Burgundy Brigade" step out and the Burgundy fillies we have in the stable are certainly showing us a lot of natural speed. This really doesn't surprise me as I always said that Burgundy was the fastest horse Te Akau has ever trained. He could run times that no other horse has been able to do in the 37 years that Te Akau Racing has been operating.
Burgundy stands at $5,000 and if you have a broodmare, you should look closely at sending her to Burgundy - he is great value for money and his progeny so far are really impressing us.
It is, as I said, the last week now of our holiday - apart from one night of torrential rain as Cyclone Darby passed by, it has been beautiful weather. I know from my daily reports that it has been very wet at home but after quite a dry summer, that means that we are able to see all of the ponds full and the water tables increase - so even though it is miserable - there are good things happening.
We are looking forward to seeing the first contingent of our horses head to Te Teko next week - it always means that Spring is on its way - and if you can't be there, we will have reports on the trials on our website within 24 hours.