Te Akau TV - Weekend Preview
Date: 20 Sep 2024
It's a small but mighty weekend ahead for the tangerine!
As we gear up for another weekend, we may have fewer runners with winter tracks still upon us, but the quality is top-notch!
It’s been a huge week on the track, with winners well worth celebrating! From Riccarton to Flemington, Cambridge to Cranbourne, the team has been delivering impressive performances - and there’s plenty more action on the horizon! On Tuesday 26 of our horses trialled at Rotorua. It was an important day for the team, giving us a chance to assess some of our rising stars as they prepare for their upcoming campaigns so keep an eye on what is to come flashing home in the coming weeks.
This week, we catch up with trainer Mark Walker. He has plenty of Airpoints coming his way as he jets between New Zealand and Australia and down to the South. At Cranbourne, our Australian stable is thriving - we now have 50 boxes fully operational in Melbourne as our second stable extension has opened. This is great news for our New Zealand horses that will be looking at Trans-Tasman campaigns over the coming months - having both stables creates a unique, streamlined and brilliant opportunity for our owners. It is seamless for Te Akau to take horses to campaign in Australia. Meanwhile, our South Island stable continues to power ahead, and our Matamata team is in full throttle with some very clear spring racing goals ahead.
Our recent performances have been outstanding, with some fantastic wins in the last week across New Zealand and Australia:
* Riccarton: Age of Discovery and Perfect Scenario both delivered strong victories
* Flemington: Bellatrix Star dazzled in the Listed Cap D'Antibes Stakes (1100m) for Fortuna, continuing her excellent form
* Cambridge: It was a memorable day with Stonybreck, Legally Binding, Rule of Law, and Canatrice all claiming wins. A special shoutout to Stonybreck, who was purchased by Te Akau Principal David Ellis CNZM for just $20,000 and has now notched up seven wins!
* Cranbourne: Just yesterday, Truth Or Dare made an impressive Australian debut, smashing his way to victory. A testament to the hard work on both sides of the Tasman, showcasing how a horse can arrive and win first-up. Truth Or Dare was a purchase from the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run sale, which is just around the corner.
Congratulations to all connections and everyone involved in these great successes!
We also wanted to take this time to thank our owners who contributed to the 'Getting Lauren To The Winning Post With Her Cancer Battle' Givealittle page. We are pleased to announce that, with 315 donations in just over 24 hours, $80,000 was successfully raised for Lauren's unfunded treatment.
Te Akau is beyond proud of our industry and the extraordinary people who have rallied behind Lauren. The level of generosity has not only brought hope to one of our own but also shown the true heart of our racing community. In times like these, the selflessness of people like you reminds us all of the incredible power of compassion, and we are deeply, deeply grateful for that support. Together with Lauren, we extend our heartfelt gratitude.
Looking ahead to this weekend we have runners at Taupo today and Ellerslie on Saturday, where Group 1 winner Campionessa will step out for the return of 'The Big E'. Saturday evening we will tune in to one of last few meetings in Singapore which is set to finish in October. On Sunday, we’ll return to Flemington in Melbourne with Our Paramour, who has been in excellent form leading into this race.
Next week, it’s back to Hawkes Bay for the second day of the Spring Carnival, featuring the Group 1 Arrowfield Plate. We’re keeping the momentum going as we head into spring racing at full stride.
Thank you for your continued support - it’s an exciting time for everyone at Te Akau Racing, and we couldn’t do it without you!
Best of luck to all our connections this weekend.. GO THE TANGERINE!