Te Akau Tuesday Update
Date: 27 Jul 2021
David writes:
It was another successful weekend of racing in Singapore, with Mark Walker and our Kranji team taking out two wins and posting a very classy third in the Singapore Derby. Congratulations to the Fortuna team whose colours saluted the judge!
There literally isn't a week that goes by where Mark isn't in the winner's circle and he currently lies a very close second on the Trainers' Premiership, well ahead of the third placed trainer!
I don't believe we realise how lucky we are living in New Zealand, where we have the luxury and freedom of visiting our families whenever we feel like it. It has now been 18 months since Mark has seen his family and older children. It must be so frustrating and very sad for him and them!
While on the topic of Singapore, we are all very sorry to hear the passing of Hall of Fame Champion Trainer and Melbourne Cup winning trainer Laurie Laxon last week.
Laurie was an owner of ours and gave us a very nice horse by No Nay Never for Jamie Richards to train. Laurie purchased the colt last year at the Karaka yearling sale. Laurie also had a share in the great stayer Torcedor that I purchased at the Deauville Sale in France for 70,000 euros.
Torcedor won Group races in Ireland and England. He won at Ascot and finished fifth and third in the Group 1 Ascot Gold Cup in 2017 and 2018 during the Royal meeting. The Ascot Gold Cup is regarded as the equivalent to the Melbourne Cup for European staying races.
He also ran second in the St Ledger and was a top class stayer before we sold him for $1.5 million, which after buying him for 70,000 euros was a great deal. Torcedor was Lot 1 at the sale and was by Fastnet Rock. He was raced by Sir Peter Vela, Sir Patrick Hogan, Mohammad Moussa and Laurie Laxon.
To all of Laurie's family, we would like you to know that we are thinking of you at this very sad time.
In other racing news - apart from the increase in stakes recently announced, another very exciting development is the new radio station called SENZ. I started listening to it over the weekend on the old TAB frequency in Auckland and it is very good.
The morning show is hosted by Brendon McCullum, Louis Herman-Watt and Israel Dagg - what a line-up of pure talent! Then from 9am to 12pm is the legend himself, Ian Smith.
On Saturday afternoon, I was listening to Steve Davis, Mark Claydon and Teina Walters - the latter, a name you will all be incredibly familiar with. Teina use to work at Te Akau Racing and was the strapper for horses like Melody Belle, Xtravagant and Embellish before he pursued his passion in media and went to work at NZTR/Love Racing. He has really found his calling and is doing an exceptional job - Teina is going to make a world class radio presenter.
One thing that Trackside does not realise is that when you live in the country, it is a struggle to have any form of reception, let alone the internet or wifi - especially out on the farm. It is really great to be able to listen to this radio programme - it is covering a demographic of people in our industry who have been forgotten about.
It is a multisport platform, with plenty of racing content. On Saturday, they broadcast all the races from Te Rapa and New Plymouth. Make sure you tune in!
The positive feedback that we have been receiving with regards to the announcement of our new Assistant Trainer Sam Bergerson, has been fantastic. It is a very exciting time for everybody here at Te Akau Racing and we know Sam will relish his new challenge and execute the role very well.
Karyn and I have just finished selling 78 horses this season which means that we have a beautiful team of horses to train this coming season. Naming and registering them all has been quite a feat and I know our house lights have been burning until every 2am!
Spring is only four weeks away now and it is always exciting to see the equine babies step out for the new season, and to see who will be our Karaka Million runners over the next few months.
The new TAB Board has just been announced and Te Akau Racing would like to thank all the Directors who filled in various roles over the last two to three years. We shouldn't forget that we were very lucky to have had the last Minister for Racing, the Rt Hon Winston Peters, as the Government provided $72 million to help our industry after the effects of Covid-19.
So it is not just a question of the Government giving racing a handout - for years and years and years, the industry was paying the Government - in fact the industry paid the Government up to 9% duty on every bet. This totals to nearly $40 million paid to the Government every single year. It was reduced from 9% to 3% under Helen Clark, when Winston was the Minister for Racing, and it was reduced again two years ago as a result of the Messara Report.
Racing now pays no duty and with the amazing contribution that we give to the economy of this country by GST, employment and PAYE, why should the industry pay duty?
To have these all-weather tracks up and running is certainly a blessing at this time of the year, especially with the current wet conditions of the grass courses proper. I was surprised that at the Cambridge Jockey Club's first race meeting, they did not have a race saluting Winston Peters, as without him they would not have this all-weather track.
Recently I was asked to attend a New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) board meeting at the request of their Chairman, Cameron George. Cameron is doing an outstanding job for New Zealand racing and we couldn't be more lucky to have a man of his ability and passion at the helm of our industry.
NZTR was interested in my thoughts on various issues and wanted to know our views on the industry in general. I was very impressed with the Board and the questions.
I also thought it was a great announcement that Bruce Sharrock (below) is going to move from the Board to the administrative side of NZTR as Chief Operating Officer. He too is a very successful and capable person. Bruce is going to be overseeing the instigation some big changes that will take place over the next 12 months.
We are getting plenty of rain here at Te Akau Stud (main photo taken by me today), but at least while it is raining, the grass is growing and there are no frosts! It was 18 degrees here yesterday afternoon, between 1.30pm and 3pm, which makes for perfect grass growing weather! Lambing is fully under way, and I have to say I have never seen so many twins and triplets born - lucky the weather hasn't been too cold for them.
Yesterday I went to a specialist surgeon in Auckland, as I had been having discomfort in my leg and foot over the last few weeks. I didn't realise how serious it was, as today I am booked in to have emergency reconstructive surgery on my foot, and I wont be able to walk for several months!!! What a bugger! At least I will be able 100% by the time the Ready to Run sale comes around in November (hmmmm - not sure about the nursing duties and demands says Karyn!!!)
A massive congratulations also needs to go to Danielle Johnson who rode her 150th winner for the season last weekend! What an incredible achievement!
Go the good guys, and ...