Te Akau Weekend Update

David writes:

As usual at this time of the year, we have been very busy finishing with the Ready to Run Sale and you wouldn't believe what arrived in the mail on Saturday morning?

The latest catalogue for the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier and Select Yearling Sales - can you also believe that next week we start looking at the yearlings at all the various studs? It is a great PR exercise for NZB to have already sent me these catalogues so that I can start carrying out my pedigree research.  This is just another example of what a great company it is.

The Ready to Run Sale was a huge success and we only have 10% remaining in our Fastnet Rock colt - that is a major vote of confidence from our owners.  The Savabeel colt was a huge "embarrassment" as he was gone in 20 minutes and there is a waiting list!

Our weekend of racing started as usual on Friday night in Singapore with Te Akau Singapore trainer Mark Walker winning yet another race, this time with the locally owned Eclair Sensation.  Then it was Jason Bridgman's turn in New Zealand - we had two runners at Ellerslie in Windborne and Show No Emotion.

We finished the day with Windborne easily winning the Listed Murdoch Newell Stakes and Show No Emotion being beaten only a lip into second in an incredibly exciting finish in a capacity field.

Windborne was bred by Karyn and me at Te Akau Stud and put in the Select Sale and congratulations to all the Fortuna team and especially to John Galvin who very astutely purchased Windborne.  He did this with the knowledge that her full sister Darci's Dream would increase Windborne's value by winning black type races.  Of course Darci's Dream won the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes a couple of months ago before running a brilliant second in the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas.

Now both fillies have black type victories to their credit!

What a great sire Darci is - he has outstanding 2YOs such as Windborne and Champion 2YO recite, he has stakes' winning 2YO's, Oaks' winners, Group 1 WFA winners - firm tracks, soft tracks, doesn't matter what the distance 800m, 1000m, 1600m, 2400m - he is just so versatile and the Darci's just keep winning!

Everyone at Te Akau Stud was also thrilled with Windborne's effort - from the day she was born she was a spectacular filly - not overly big but she had terrific strength and balance and it is certainly no surprise to us that she is such a precocious running type.  I thought the way she accelerated at the 300m was quite exciting and she obviously has a very rosy future.

Windborne's next start will be in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes on New Year's day at Ellerslie and then on to the Karaka Million and the two Group 1's for 2YOs - the Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie and the Manawatu Sires' Produce at Awapuni.

So that will mean that, all going well, she will have six starts before we get her ready next season for the NZB Filly of the Year Series and who knows - maybe she can go one better than her big sister in the group 1 NZB 1000 Guineas!  Windborne and Darci's Dream's mother Sweet Dreams Baby is safely in foal to Burgundy.

It is this time of the year when our mares and foals return back to Te Akau from the studs - this year we have some stunning foals by Rock 'n' Pop and Burgundy.  I think that of the first 11 foals we had from Burgundy, nine were fillies with just two colts.  However with the weight scale in New Zealand the way it is, and the NZB Pearl Series, there is nothing wrong with having fillies.

Last night we went to Mt Smart Stadium to watch the Rolling Stones - I am a little bit embarrassed to say that this is the first time that I have ever been to a live concert (so that was a baptism of fire - Ed!!).  So I wasn't sure what to expect but must admit we had a fantastic night being hosted in the Mad Butcher's private box right next to the stage - great views of Mick Jagger.  To see him at 71 years of age roaring around the stage is inspirational - a tremendous tribute to his enthusiasm and you could easily see he was really enjoying it.  There was a terrific group of friends in the box and I was surprised just how many were keen on horse racing!

So overall I really enjoyed the evening, I am not sure whether I would go again (ha ha no surprises there - Ed) but I was thrilled that I went and we certainly had a lot of fun.

Today we are busy entertaining at Te Akau Stud and have friends of Karyn's coming to stay tonight - tomorrow is a big start to the week as we have our North Island Owners' cocktail party at the stable where all our owners are invited to come and see their horses and enjoy our hospitality with a pre Christmas celebration.  We will be parading two colts that we bought from the Ready to Run Sale - the Savabeel colt and the Fastnet Rock colt.

Also this week we will be starting an intensive foal handling programme where we get the mares and foals into the stables at the farm and handle them, drench them and trim their feet and teach the foals to be led.  Of course we also have more bulls and steers off to the works this week and we are also going to wean all our lambs as well.