Te Akau Tuesday Update

David writes:

We have another huge day at Te Akau Stud today with our first owner came to inspect horses at 8.00am and another group at 9.15am.  Another owner will join us here at 1.00pm and then two more at 2.00pm and 2.45pm with the final group coming at 4.00pm.

Shares in these beautiful yearlings that I bought from Karaka are selling very quickly and we couldn't be happier as we welcome back existing owners who are reinvesting and plenty of new owners too.  Our office team is working very hard and it is a huge exercise sending out information to all our owners who are going to race these exciting yearlings - and guess what? WE ALL LOVE THIS TIME OF THE YEAR!

There are still shares available in some really top quality yearlings - for example take a closer look at Lot 5 - a gorgeous Rip Van Winkle filly out of Far South.

I bought this filly for $50,000 and she has great residual value with a beautiful pedigree being out of the stakes' performed mare Far South.  Far South has already had five to race with four winners and of these she has left two black type winning fillies who are half sisters to our lass.

So our girl can boast Group 3 Champagne Stakes winner Antarctic Miss as her half sister (she won this race at Moonee Valley and was also 3rd in the Group 1 MRC 1000 Guineas).  Her other half sister won the Listed Canterbury Breeders' Stakes at Riccarton.

Far South does look a really successful broodmare and this is her best foal - just look at her photo - she has good natural muscle, good rib and great strong hindquarters - she is everything you would look for in a  filly - and you can have a 10% share for just $5,000 plus GST.

Another filly that we have nearly fully sold is Lot 49 an Exceed and Excel filly out of Household.  Looking at this filly's pedigree and you will see some of the best fillies that have raced in the world in the last 30 years.  For example, in the family is Zafonic who won the Group 1 English 2000 Guineas and the Group 1 Newmarket Dewhurst Stakes.  Then there is Elmaamul who won dual Groups 1's, the Phoenix Champion Stakes and the Sandown Eclipse Stakes.  Then remember Reams of Verse another filly who won the Group 1 English Oaks.

Yes this filly has a beautiful pedigree - also being by last season's Champion Sire in Australia in Exceed and Excel who is responsible for enormous.  Did you know that this reigning champion sire claims a staggering one-third slice of the 21 juvenile Group I pie in Australia through Reward For Effort, Helmet, Overreach, Guelph and now Earthquake.

Earthquake is a dead ringer for our filly and she won the $1 million Group 1 Blue Diamond at Caulfield last Saturday.   Indeed, nearest to Earthquake at the post in the Blue Diamond Stakes was the Exceed And Excel colt Jabali - a quinella that the premier stallion achieved in the 2013 Golden Slipper Stakes, with Overreach and Sidestep.

Exceed And Excel is by nine-times champion sire Danehill from the US-bred Patrona - a superbly bred mare by Lomond, the English 2000 Guineas-winning son of Northern Dancer.  His mother, My Charmer, was also the dam of US triple crown winner and champion sire Seattle Slew.

Our Exceed and Excel filly cost $120,000 plus GST so a 10% share is $12,000 plus GST or you can have a 5% share for only $6,000 plus GST.

I would also like to congratulate Racing Matamata for picking up the today's trials' meeting.  The trials at Paeroa were forced to be cancelled due to the track not being up to scratch. We have a good number of horses waiting to either be educated or to get further fitness for an autumn campaign and these trials are a very important part of the programme.  It is difficult when they are cancelled so I thought the way Matamata stepped in to run these trials and give everyone a chance to get their horse going was very positive.

As we head towards the Auckland Cup Week, Spellbinder and King Savinsky both look on track for Saturday's Group 1 Derby - Spellbinder will be ridden by Matt Cameron and King Savinsky by Haydn Tinsley.  It will be a great carnival at Ellerslie.  Its track for last week's meeting was in top order, well irrigated with the jar out of it which is ideal for all horses as well as sensible at this time of the year as if rain comes on the day, the track will not be slippery.

Karyn and I are really looking forward to the Ellerslie Carnival and to also introducing you to our new team member Jamie Richards. We hope you can all join us at the races.

I have just finished a 3/4 hour on the treadmill and while I was doing this I watched an interview on TV One Breakfast where they interviewed Sally Ridge and her daughter Jaimie about cyber bullying.  It is a disgraceful activity that is usually undertaken by the jealous and the gutless under the secrecy of nom de plumes.  It is done by people that would never have the guts to put name to it.  It thus carries no value and is all about the worst sickness of all - jealousy.

It can be a cruel world and you know you are doing well when the knives are out sadly. When you are successful, when you deliver results, when your business is doing well - out come these people and yes racing has them too - our view is to ignore such poison and keep a clear focus on excellence, at being the best at what we do - running a great farm and high performing stables.  Making our owners happy and looking after them and getting results - that is what matters.