Te Akau Weekend Update

David writes:

What a thrill it was today to see Xtravagant win like he did at Te Rapa yesterday.  This season he has now won FIVE races and Group races at 1200, 1400 and 1600 metres.

Before the race the field was written up as one of the best fields of up and comers seen  this season - then after he wins like he did, people are saying he beat nothing.  Xtravagant is the best galloper Te Akau has ever had. Before todays's race he was rated 13 points ahead of the next best three year old so, he is so far ahead in the 3YO of the year department at this stage it shouldn't be an argument.

I was amused before the Group 1 NRM Sprint that the press wrote the race up as the best field of sprinters seen in NZ for several years - Xtravagant goes out and wins by 8 lengths beating the best horses in NZ and yet someone said to me last week that he isn't ahead in the 3 year old award ... give me a break. This colt has run times never seen before in the 2000 guineas and again yesterday he went the fastest time in the race ever since it was changed to 1200m and it was his first start for eight weeks and he didn't have a trial. That's what top trainers can do.  What a great stallion he is going to make. We will make a decision on Queensland next week.

I listened to the race on trackside radio in my hotel room in Sydney as I am over here for Colm and Niki Santry's wedding. Colm has been a friend of mine since he worked at Cambridge Stud as a young man and is now in charge of stallion bookings at Coolmore Stud.

It was exciting to have our 80^th win for the season yesterday and today our 10^th black type win for the season with Xtravagant winning. What a great effort by Steve and Jamie and we still have 40 horses to race in the next five weeks.  Yes the premiership is going to be exciting but after winning it in Singapore last year of course our goal is to do the same in NZ but not at the expense of hurting any horse. At the start of the season my goal was 90 wins and I think we can achieve a few more than  that.

Karyn and I had a very busy week at home lsat week doing a lot of entertaining which we both enjoy. I personally love showing our owners their horses being broken in and to my eye, we have bought a vintage crop of yearlings …. I have never seen so many young exciting horses working together at the farm.