Te Akau Weekend Roundup

David writes:

It's been a busy three thoroughbred days for Te Akau - firstly the team attended the NZ Thoroughbred Horse of the Year awards in Hamilton on Thursday.

As you know, we celebrated the official presentation to Costa Viva as Te Akau's fifth NZB Filly of the Year.  It was great to have Viva's owners Dianne and Geoff Ford, Craig Hurst and Bridie Virbickas (representing Dave and Nicky Hurst who were overseas) and Ray and Jan Batten on hand to enjoy the formalities.

We also cheered loudly when our Te Akau stable rider Matt Cameron was announced as the Champion Jockey for 2013/14.  Congratulations to Matt who had his partner Blair and family on hand to celebrate with him - we are so proud as Matt is a dedicated and hard working member of our team.  Matt also received a second trophy recognising his Jockeys' Premiership win.

On Friday it was time to attend the Waikato Racing Club's inaugural Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate cocktail party at Te Rapa.  Karyn and her team had organised legendary Australian trainer Lee Freedman to attend as the guest speaker.  Lee was, as you would expect, a very entertaining raconteur - and ably assisted by interviewer Aidan Rodley, he recalled many funny and interesting experiences and tales!

Around 150 guests enjoyed the evening which was a huge success and it will now be held annually on the eve of the first North Island black type race of the season.

On Saturday it was our third busy day in succession.  Karyn was off early to the tv studios and I had breakfast with our daughter Julia and her partner Hamish who had been at the awards and the cocktail party and stayed to attend the races.

It was a stunning day weather wise which was great for the Club as early in the week it had been very wet and cold.  The track at a Slow7 was a credit to them and they had a good crowd on course.

There was a lot of interest in the Group 3 Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate - the race was renamed this year to honour one of the industry's most dynamic women who was lost to us exactly three months ago to the day.  Although a Group 3 race, the event had a Group 1 field have no doubt.

Waikato Stud had two runners in Lisa's race and there were plenty of teary eyes around the course as one of them - I Do - by Waikato stallion No Excuse Needed, overcame a tardy start to assert her authority in the straight and go on to win by a couple of lengths.  A striking grey mare, ridden by Opie Bosson, the whole course was stunned and lots of emotion abounded as Mark Chittick led her back.  It can only be described as a fairytale ending to the big race.

It was an emotional acceptance speech by Mark who was surrounded by his family and friends (as Waikato Stud was the major sponsor of the day).  As Chairman of the Club, Karyn thanked Mark as sponsor and also congratulated him as the winning co-owner - he replied asking for a moment's silence in Lisa's memory and then he talked briefly about the loss of his "best mate" who is, as Karyn said at the end of her presentation "the brightest star in the sky".

Today Sunday we decided to catch up on some home jobs and I spent a lot of time on the farm - inspecting the horses and the stock.  Then tonight we settled in to enjoy the Singapore races - it was terrific to see Te Akau Singapore trainer Mark Walker record yet another winner for the season - with Constance's Spirit very impressive indeed.