Te Akau Weekend Update

David writes:

The NZ Thoroughbred Racing Awards' evening held on Thursday night in Hamilton can sometimes have much discussion attached to it - one award that was clear cut was the Jockey of the Year award.

We were thrilled to see Matt Cameron, Te Akau's stable rider, win TWO awards - Matt won 1) the Jockeys' Premiership award and 2) he was judged the best Jockey of the Year - and by a big margin of the voting panel.

Matt went through the whole of last season in a most disciplined manner.  He didn't battle any weight issues, never had a sick day, all season he won Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 as well as Listed races and rode from Ruakaka in the north to the South Island - week after week, after week.  He rode trackwork every week and won by far the most races in New Zealand and by quite a margin (154 - 18 ahead of the next rider).  Matt is a very popular guy and an asset to New Zealand racing.

Congratulations to Matt and to Blair, his partner and number one supporter!  Karyn (who was MC for the awards) was really honoured to accept your trophies on your behalf (as Matt was overseas).

The award that seems to have stirred up the most discussion is that of Breeder of the Year.  Imagine if you owned a stud farm that won all the stallion awards (for a second year running) - the Grosvenor Award, the Dewar Award and the Centaine Award - these are for the stallions with the most stakes won by progeny in New Zealand, the most in Australasia and the most globally.

I guess if you had achieved this on the night, you would be favourite to be named Breeder of the Year but if you also bred four individual Group 1 winners, double that of anyone else, you would go to the awards thinking that you would be a good chance to win.  Yes Waikato Stud bred twice the Group 1 winners of anyone else but didn't win the award - unbelievably hard to understand.

Now just to be a finalist in this category is a great achievement and the winner IDL Racing had a remarkable year breeding Volkstok'n'barrell and Suavito but the question is being asked "how can anyone who breeds two Group 1 winners beat someone who breeds four plus has all three stallion award winners?" It is hard to understand.

I like the way the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series is organised and won - points for every race.  Couldn't you then say have points for each Group 1, fewer for a Group 2 etc etc - more in line with the Owners' Award?  When you let individuals vote you always seem to get favourites so perhaps it is time, I say, to base it on statistics.

I understand that "Weigh In" (the old NZ Retro) is due to start again in two weeks in New Zealand.  Surely the voting is something that could be up as an early discussion topic.

Recently I mentioned in one of my updates about an all-weather track and was quite surprised at how many people rang me or emailed me to discuss the topic.  It is not an option to close New Zealand racing down for two months as some people have suggested.  There are far too many people who rely on winter racing for their sole livelihood plus under Clause 16 of the Racing Amendment Bill, the way the profit distribution is set out, the galloping code would be severely disadvantaged with less racing.

I have put a lot of thought into my comments - we need an all-weather track for trials and some winter racing - end of story.

I also had a lot of feedback on my comments about the reduction of the number of races.  On this issue I have firm ideas and plead with racing administrators - this idea of having six or seven races a day is a nonsense.  Split the races, have fillies' and mares' maidens, more 3YO maidens and give owners a chance to win and get their horses through the grades.

After a lot of overnight rain, it is a beautiful day at Te Akau Stud today.  The sun is out and the horses are all very happy, enjoying the weather.  We have almost finished lambing and the sheep and cattle have come through the winter in great shape - the days are getting longer and the grass is about to take off.

Karyn is off to Taupo today to pick up (another) rescue dog - she is giving her to her mother as a birthday present which her mother is very excited about.  They head to the South Island, where Karyn's mother lives,  on Tuesday.

Speaking of Taupo, Stephen and Jamie have a nice team of horses to race there on Wednesday and the team is just about ready to fire!

Congratulations too to Mark Walker - another training success on Friday night with Hee's Ego - we have a nice team racing tonight so at around 4.30pm it will be tv on for me!