Te Akau Tuesday Update

What an unbelievable weekend with winners and seconds!

WINNERS:

Champion 2YO Melody Belle
Outstanding Contribution to Racing Excellence (lifetime achievement) - David Ellis

RUNNERS UP:

Champion 3YO - New Zealand's highest rated 3YO Gingernuts
Horse of the Year - Gingernuts
Group 1 Irish St Leger - Torcedor finishes a very good second behind last season's winner Order of St George

David writes:

Firstly, all of us at Te Akau would like to congratulate Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman for winning the Trainer of the Year award - and to them and Bonneval's owners for the filly's awards.   We were proud to have our Te Akau New Zealand trainers Stephen and Jamie named as the other finalist in the Trainer of the Year category too, an award the team won last year.

It was a great thrill to see Melody Belle, a horse I bought from Karaka for $57,500, named Champion 2YO for the season.  The winner of the Karaka Million, Group 1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes and Group 2 BRC Sires in Brisbane, she won $865,444 last season.  She is coming up well as she prepares for an assault on the Group 1 Railway Hcp and $1 million Karaka 3YO Mile both at Ellerslie in January next year.  We were also very proud to have Gold Fever as one of the three nominees for the Champion 2YO category.

Melody Belle became our fifth Champion 2YO title winner - following in the footsteps of the other 2YO Champions I have purchased - Maroofity, Darci Brahma, Warhorse and War Affair.

Gingernuts, who last week was named on top of the NZ 3YO Free Handicap for horses 1601m+, was defeated by only six votes for the Champion 3YO title and was also runner up in the Horse of the Year voting.

It was such a humbling experience to win the Outstanding Contribution to Racing Excellence award - I am hugely grateful to all of the people who nominated, and apparently there were a number.  This was the first time that nominations had been called for as previously the award was decided by the Chairman of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) - now the decision is made by the Chairman and Board of NZTR.

To me, receiving this award was recognition of every owner who has invested with Te Akau over the years and to all my incredible team who work just so hard every day of the year to make Te Akau successful.  It was also recognition of my wonderful wife Karyn who supports me so staunchly in everything I do, and my friend and business partner Mark Walker, who was able to be with us on the evening.

I didn't have a clue that I was receiving this award although Karyn had been told a week prior and it was very special that Karyn was able to organise (unbeknown to me) for my daughters to be there.  It was also special to me to be sitting with one of the very best trainers that New Zealand has ever known in Colin Jillings.  Colin, a Hall of Fame trainer and previous recipient himself of the award, has been such a great friend and mentor to me for over 40 years.  Colin has given me so much advice and guidance during my time in racing and to have him and his wife Alison as our guests made the evening even more memorable.  They are a much-loved couple by Karyn and me.

It was also wonderful to have our senior staff join us at the awards.  I like to say that "these people are the ones who put the show on - 365 days a year - rain, hail, sun" and they do.  Our team is one of the most highly skilled and dedicated you would find anywhere in the world and these guys and ladies mean so much to me.

It was also amazing to have so many of our owners supporting us at the event.  When I was being interviewed by Michael Guerin after my award presentation, I thanked everyone who had ever had a share in a horse with Te Akau racing - to all my owners, a huge thank you!

I did feel a bit sorry for the owners of Gingernuts, New Zealand's highest rated 3YO (1601m+) on the Free Handicap.  The free handicap is issued each year by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and this clearly had him on top - however the important thing to always do is congratulate the winner - and we all do this whole heartedly.  Gingernuts had a wonderful season and to all his owners - you can be proud.  I bought him for $42,500 at the ready to Run Sale and he has earned $1,098,422 in the 16 months he has been racing.  It was however really good news to see William Fell's Goodwood Stud named as Breeder of the Year, they of course bred Gingernuts!

It is great to have Mark Walker home for a few days this week.  Mark is having a stunning season in Singapore and is now 24 wins in front on the Trainers' Premiership, an unbelievable achievement.  Tomorrow we are going to Matamata to see all the horses and then we are having a special party for all our stable team.  Yesterday afternoon I took Mark around the farm - the Auckland/Waikato region has never ever been so wet, it's just so incredible how bad it is!  Water everywhere and rain is forecast every day for the next nine days.  I will make the point however we never get good tracks until October but this season seems worse than most.  In fact this morning we took a number of horses down to Taupo to gallop.

I would like to thank everyone who has emailed, called and texted me in the last couple of days - your kindness just so appreciated.  I will reply to you all but do forgive me, it may take a few days.

Have a great week and keep as dry as you can!