Te Akau Weekend Update

David writes:

Congratulations to New Zealand Bloodstock (NZB) - the whole New Zealand racing and breeding industry should congratulate NZB on a record sale ever in the history of horse sales - every record has been broken at Karaka this week.

This only happens through a lot of hard work and dedication. It has promoted the sale superbly and attracted buyers form all over the world to New Zealand.  The sale had a great atmosphere and attracted some really nice types of horses that were keenly bought.

I read that for a fourth consecutive year the sale set records for a two-year-old sale in Australasia with the average and aggregate both reaching new heights. On Day 2 NZB also recorded the highest price ever achieved ($525,000) by a 2YO there.

At the conclusion of the sale the aggregate had burst through the $20 million mark to be $23,368,500, an increase of 21% from last year's figure of $19,297,500, with 254 horses sold.

I bought two horses - a Savabeel colt and an Iffraaj colt - the Savabeel colt sold within a couple of hours, continuing that trend of shares in our horses - they fly out of the door!  Well done to his new owners.  The Iffraaj colt has been bought for a group of friends who are looking to race the horse together - with both colts' sires firing on the racetrack, we are very excited about the future of these two.

The end of the week - or the start of our weekend depending on how you look at it - was marked by both of our stables preparing winners.  Our Drahma Queen broke maiden ranks at Taranaki while Kam's Comet claimed the feature $100,000 AmCham Cup at Kranji on Friday night.

Our Drahma Queen is raced by Fortuna Syndicators and I purchased her privately from Mana Park - she has a lovely pedigree and it was great to see the Fortuna colours to the fore again.

By Danroad, Kam's Comet is also a Kiwi bred that Te Akau Racing bought out of New Zealand and he truly looks a very exciting horse with a bright future.

So with Steve and Jamie, and Mark in Singapore winning on Friday, both of our stables continue to lead their respective Premierships - in New Zealand we have already saluted 32 winners, amongst them five Group and Listed winners.  Mark has prepared 77 winners and is right on target to claim his first Singapore Trainers' Premiership title - before he heads home with Julia and the children to New Zealand for Christmas.  That's something we are all looking forward to.

So another week of winning and good news - including conformation that Brendon McCullum's Vermair Racing has chosen Te Akau to train the two colts it purchased from the Ready to Run Sale - we are thrilled with this news.

PS we have to add that another Te Akau raised horse won stylishly on Friday - Trilogy is a pacer bred by Karyn together with Dave McCarthy and Sam Boyd.  He was raised at Te Akau Stud (so rubbing shoulders with the thoroughbreds must be the secret) and is trained by Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen.  It was only his second start and he was sent out a $1.60 favourite at Alexandra Park on Friday night.  Karyn, Dave and Sam also raced his dam Three J's who delivered a full sister (by American Ideal) to Trilogy two weeks ago.