Te Akau Tuesday Update

David writes:

April is one of my favourite months of the year - NOT TOO HOT, NOT TOO COLD!  The grass is growing flat-stick and Te Akau Stud looks as green as I have ever seen it.  Yesterday we finished shearing all of the breeding ewes and today we start drenching all of the cattle and moving them from the hills down to our fattening country.

But what I enjoy most at this time of the year is watching the young horses that we have just purchased being ridden around the farm for the first time - it is a perfect place to educate these youngsters.

The Sydney fillies are just magnificent!  This morning we rode the Zoustar filly for the first time and WOW did she impress me!!   There are still three shares available in this beautiful filly who herself is out of a young Fastnet Rock mare.

Our breaker commented to me that you'd think she had been ridden all of her life, she's just a natural.

On Sunday we had a great afternoon and evening with Luke Kemeys of "Boys Get Paid" and some of his crew - I love what he is doing for racing - he is so passionate and innovative and fired up to get young people back to racing - just brilliant to see!

Tomorrow Karyn leaves for two weeks in London where she will be celebrating daughter Lydia's 30th birthday.  Tomorrow I am having a special lunch in Auckland with my great friend Colin Jillings, the Hall of Fame trainer.  He is certainly one of the best trainers this country has ever seen.  Colin actually introduced Karyn and me about 15 years ago at the Trentham races!  We also have Julia-Rose and baby Lucia-Rose staying at the moment before she and Hamish head back to Auckland tomorrow - she had eight days without power (despite living in the Auckland CBD) so it was far from ideal with a six week old baby!