Te Akau Tuesday Update
26 October, 2021
David writes:
It was another great weekend for Te Akau owners with nine winners across out two stables - eight in New Zealand and one in Singapore. Gee it's an exciting time of the racing year. In New Zealand, the countdown is on to NZ Cup Week which kicks off on 6 November, while in Australia we move on to the Melbourne Cup Carnival next week!
Looking back at the weekend, our day started off with a smart win by Irish Red in the first at Riccarton. She is a Burgundy filly that Karyn and I bred together with Catherine and Glenn Holmes, and race along with Paul Martin who raced her dam. I thought she won really well and will have her next start in the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas.
We didn't need to wait too long as we won the very next race at Riccarton with Rip Van Winkle filly who was entrusted to us by the Hawkins family of Wentwood Grange.
Then it didn't take long for the TAB to decide who is going to be favourite for the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas after our classy colt Noverre won the Group 3 War Decree Stakes. Making it three wins at Riccarton for the tangerine team. I thought Noverre, who was beautifully ridden by Jason Laking, was very impressive and he is now Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas bound as we look for our seventh win in that race over the past 17 years. I bought this colt at the Karaka Yearling Sale and a stallion prospect so it's great to secure his first Group success.
The War Decree Stakes was previously known as the Canterbury Stakes and our previous winners of this race include Risque (who went on to win the 1000 Guineas), Burgundy, King's Ransom and Tell A Tale (the 2000 Guineas' winner).
Sam Bergerson, our Assistant Trainer (main picture), is doing an amazing job for us at Riccarton - the horses are all racing so well. Sam has a top class team assisting him too including Lydia Truesdale. Well done to them all!
Our three wins at Riccarton were mirrored with three Matamata wins too - making it a total of six wins across the country on Saturday. A Group 3 at Riccarton with Noverre was followed by a Group 3 at Matamata! Karyn and I got a thrill out of seeing Imperatriz win the Group 3 Soliloquy Stakes, her third career Group success. This race was transferred from Ellerslie due to Auckland's lockdown levels. Danielle Johnson rode this filly, and she was on fire on the weekend winning four races for us. I purchased Imperatriz from the Magic Millions' January Sale and interestingly enough, she was the very last horse to sell in her year (just like Avantage)!
Imperatriz will now head to Christchurch to contest the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas. At this stage Te Akau could have five runners in that race which we have won five times in the past, including last year with Kahma Lass. She of course was an impressive stakes' winner at Caulfield earlier this month.
Mai Tai and Vamos Bebe, who we train for the Hawkins family (a double for them) and Trelawney Stud's Taylor family respectively, both went super races winning at Matamata. They both look to be in for a top season ahead, they are stakes' quality for sure.
Across in Australia, we had little luck with Probabeel falling victim to a rain-affected track in the Cox Plate for the second year in a row. Entriviere also had no luck with a firm track and a very wide gate. However between them they still won A$300,000 for their owners and both have been Group winners this prep. in Australia. They are two grand mares who have plenty more to show in the future, that's for sure. We could not be prouder of what they have achieved this season.
Moving to Monday, which was a public holiday here in New Zealand and it was a winning double for the team, taking the weekend tally to eight in New Zealand.
I thought it was a great training effort by Jamie and all the team to have Excitonic ready to win at Te Rapa after a long break. Very importantly, what a great thrill for our apprentice Niranjan Parmar to record his first race win, and in the tangerine too. This young man has an exciting future and with a 4kg claim, he will ride plenty of winners in the months ahead I am sure. Well done Parmar!
Our other Te Rapa winner was the striking Savabeel colt Zeitaku who I bought from the Ready to Run Sale last year. I thought judging on the way he won, he will be up to winning Group races. He will have his next start at Ellerslie on Boxing Day and then head to Trentham for the Wellington Guineas during its Cup Carnival.
It was also great to see Te Akau Singapore trainer Mark Walker record yet another win with Reignite. This is a 4YO Sebring gelding we purchased from the Inglis Online Sale, and Karyn syndicated him late last year. He has now had three wins and three seconds from his eight starts and is closing in on $100,000 in stake earnings.
Mark now has an 8-win advantage on the Trainers' Premiership, with racing closing for the season in November. Singapore works on a calendar year and Mark looks a great chance to claim his fourth Singapore title, to add to the five NZ Premierships he has won.
So a weekend with nine wins across our two stables - congratulations to all the owners involved.
We are looking forward to the week ahead with plenty of exciting racing to come! This Saturday is Derby Day at Flemington in Melbourne and Te Akau will have three runners lining up. Kahma Lass, Amarelinha and Sword of State, all Group 1 winners, will take their places while domestically we will have runners at Tauranga and Ashburton. Plus there will be a special family celebration too as we 'cut the cake' to find out whether our daughter Lydia and her husband Jamie are having a girl or a boy! As they live in Auckland, it will be all done by zoom!
My main focus this week is the Ready to Run Sale and I have been buried in the catalogue. Across the next week, I will be inspecting the horses in the sale. Zeitaku is an example of the sort of horse you can buy at this sale, along with the likes of Gingernuts and Te Akau Shark, plus many others. really good horses. Already we have had a large number of owners and potential owners asking to be involved, so if you are keen and want to receive the up to date information on the horses we buy each day, simply email Karyn - [email protected]
Today on the farm it is 22 degrees, following on from some very nice rain yesterday and overnight. The grass is absolutely bolting! Today we have been very busy weighing steers as we are sending our first unit to Greenlea tomorrow then two more on Thursday. We are also in the middle of crutching all the mixed-age ewes and lambs and drenching the lambs too.
I would like to say a huge thank you to all our team members at the farm and the stable. This is a hectic time of the year and everyone is working so hard - you are amazing team, thank you! Winning all these races is great reward for all your hard work and the effort you put in. Tomorrow we will be announcing our latest "Team Member" award so watch out for that too.
Best of luck this week to all our owners - your support is truly appreciated and ...