Te Akau Tuesday Update

David writes:

It’s been another very busy week here at Te Akau, with plenty happening both in the stable and on the farm as we count down the final few days of winter.

The arrival of our first two foals has been a real highlight and is always a sure sign that spring is just around the corner. Two days ago we welcomed a Noverre filly and an Embellish filly, both cracking first foals for their maiden mare mothers. The mares really coped well and are proving already to be fantastic mothers - we will share some photos as soon as we receive them!

At the same time, interest in our Class of 2026 yearlings continues to be very strong, with shares selling particularly well. In fact, just this morning we have sold four shares.

Over the past sales' season we bought more than 40 horses and we have been thrilled with the level of interest we are receiving, both from our existing owners and from so many new owners who want to become involved with Te Akau Racing.

Just this morning, Karyn sold the final available share in a Savabeel filly. The new owners told us that they had gone through Te Akau’s statistics, seen the incredible results Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson have achieved, and decided they wanted to be involved with our stable.

That was really nice to hear. It's also great when we receive wonderful feedback from so many owners - one also today telling Karyn:

“Really excited about the season ahead. There's so much happening, loved being at the trials, it’s great fun having our horses to follow and something we look forward to each week. We love getting the all updates and keeping up with what’s going on behind the scenes too - it makes us feel part of it all and everyone is so nice too. Thanks guys, keep up the great work. Bring on the season and hopefully a few winners along the way!”

Back to the shares, I have always said that it is important to have some 'stock on the shelves' and, wherever possible, we try to have shares available for people who decide they would like to join us. There are not many left now, and the interesting thing is that all of these yearlings were paid for in full more than six months ago. We select and then buy the horses we believe in, and back our judgement.

It's really great to see some of the sale horses step out at the trials - in total we had a very busy day at the trials today, with 34 Te Akau horses stepping out. There was only one two year old heat and our Lucky Vega filly won it very nicely, probably not that happy on Heavy8 going. She joins our Spirit of Boom colt Zanardi as a trial winner - he won at Avondale in a close quinella with our Too Darn Hot colt Scorching (who we have two final shares in), they were seven lengths ahead of the third placed horse.

We don’t take horses to the trials simply to try and win. Trials are an important part of their education and preparation, helping to improve their fitness, teach them their craft and bring them on towards race day. Overall, we couldn’t be happier with how the team is progressing as we head into Spring. Winter is always a traditionally quieter time for our stable.

Opie Bosson is riding trackwork for us every morning while he continues getting fit for his return to race riding, and he made a comment to me recently that I thought was pretty exciting. Opie said he doesn’t think we have ever bought a better line-up of yearlings than the ones we have purchased this year.

Opie has ridden some pretty good horses for Te Akau over the years, so that is certainly encouraging to hear!

One filly I can really recommend and, to be honest, I am surprised we still have shares available in her is Lot 398 from the Magic Millions' sale, our I Am Invincible filly out of Isola Blu. Opie also had a lot of praise for her last week.

I bought her from Yarraman Park and she has now been named B’Dazzled Blu.

She is right up amongst the nicest fillies I have bought for several years. I have liked her from the day I first inspected her and everything we have seen from her since she arrived home has only reinforced that opinion.

There is a small shareholding still available in her, so if you would like to know more, you are very welcome to call me anytime on 021 925 151 or email Karyn at [email protected]. We will be more than happy to send you further details and her latest stable updates.

Learn more here

In Christchurch, Hunter and the team, fresh off our stable being named last season's leading South Island stable, were at the Ashburton trials today where we also saw plenty of encouraging performances. We have a big team entered for Riccarton on Saturday, and Michael McNab will head south to ride most for us.

Meantime in Melbourne, the stable is gearing up for some serious Spring racing. In the first two weeks of the new season we have already celebrated three winners in Victoria including the exciting filly I Am Aria who's next race will be in a stakes' event at Flemington. She has already twice been stakes' placed as a two year old and Craig Williams has been very impressed with her.

At the jump outs horses like Group 1 winners Belle Cheval, Gee Gees Mistruth and Seize The Day have trialled very well, as they too look to some serious Spring racing targets ahead.

As we look ahead, it is also with sadness that we farewell Bellatrix Star, who has been retired from the stable and now has an exciting new chapter as a broodmare. Purchased by me for $80,000 for the Fortuna team, she won three stakes' races in succession in Melbourne, before finishing a gallant second to the star racehorse Switzerland in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, a massive effort against the older horses. In her glittering career, she won over $1 million in prize money for her owners. We will watch her off-spring with interest!

Away from the stable, it is also a particularly busy time on the farm.

Tomorrow we start docking. We have the five-year-old ewes to drench, while the lambs will be docked, drenched and vaccinated.

New Zealand lamb is selling particularly well at present. Ten days ago at a sale in Canterbury, some lambs made an incredible $460 each! Our lambs won’t make that sort of money because we don’t let them get so heavy, but it is still a remarkable price and I would say it would have to be a record in the history of this country.

This week we also start buying our replacement steers. We need just over 2,000 of them, so Alan Radford will be getting underway with that programme. There is never much standing still at Te Akau Stud!

We also have a special celebration at the farm today, as our Equine Manager Deane Lowcay celebrates a milestone birthday!

Deane is a very important member of our team and we are looking forward to getting everyone together after work to celebrate his birthday and have a drink with him. Happy Birthday Deane!

It is hard to believe that this time next week we will officially be into Spring. It is always one of my favourite times of the year - new foals arriving, lambs everywhere, young horses progressing and the new racing season gathering momentum.

On a personal note, the next three Fridays will see me in Auckland for various appointments and treatments, and on 11 September I have my final immunotherapy treatment. I am really looking forward to completing the treatment plan.

Last week marked one year since I had my kidney removed and I could not be happier with the reports I have received from my doctors. I feel incredibly fortunate and very grateful to everyone who has helped me throughout my recovery.

I am especially grateful to my wife Karyn, who has accompanied me to every appointment I have had to attend. Her support throughout the past year has meant an enormous amount to me.

This Sunday, after being in Auckland, we are heading down to Cambridge Stud for lunch and to inspect their stallions. I always enjoy seeing the stallions at this time of year and catching up with everyone there as another breeding season gets underway.

With Spring almost here and so much to look forward to on both sides of the Tasman, we are certainly entering another very exciting chapter.

Have a great week everyone - and as always, go the tangerine!