Te Akau Weekend Update
23 July, 2016
David writes:
Karyn and I are having a lovely time on holiday but to be honest, we are never far away from the computer or from Trackside Radio. It was great to see Mark Walker kick off the weekend in style with Storm Trooper winning the Class 4 so well for his New Zealand owners. It's hard to believe that in New Zealand in nine days' time the 2015/16 season will be complete and every statistic turns back to zero.
We are still avidly involved in plans for the team for the Spring - with a large contingent getting readied to trial at Te Teko on 2 August. There is something about that trial date that always makes you get excited that Spring racing is just around the corner.
There are familiar and successful names trialling such as our two Horse of the Year award finalists - firstly dual Group 1 and Group 3 winner Xtravagant (finalist for Champion 3YO as well as Champion Sprinter/Miler) and Heroic Valour (our unbeaten Group 1 and Listed winner who is a finalist for the Champion 2YO title) who of course is the first ever Group 1 2YO winner globally for his rockstar sire Fastnet Rock.
There will be young 3YOs out and about such as Hall of Game and Gingernuts - both juvenile winners, both bought from the 2015 Ready to Run Sale - and a reminder that the 2016 sale is now only under four months away!
We will see stakes' winner Sassy "N" Smart - who certainly lived up to her name this past season - back hunting down 3YO filly honours. That's another reminder, when thinking back to her becoming her sire's first ever stakes' winner during NZ Cup Week last year, that this iconic fixture will be upon us in only four months as well.
NZ Cup Week at Riccarton has been a happy hunting ground indeed for Te Akau owners - our record in the Group 1 NZ 2000 and 1000 Guineas is second to none - nine winners in 11 years!
In the 2000 Guineas - King's Chapel, Darci Brahma, Tell A Tale, Rock 'n' Pop and Xtravagant - all bought/syndicated by David Ellis.
In the 1000 Guineas - Insouciant, King's Rose, Costa Viva and Risque with Costa Viva being purchased by David as well. Risque has also been named as a finalist for the Champion 3YO award.
The 2015 NZ Cup week was a massive week for the stable - we literally took the carnival by storm with an unmatched strike rate - with the undoubted headline act being Te Akau's victory in both the Group 1 NZ 2000 and Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas - a rare feat and and huge kudos is due to our whole team - including our stable rider Matthew Cameron - himself a nominee for Champion Jockey for the season.
Our Te Akau New Zealand trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards have really made a huge impact in their first season - therefore is it not surprising that they too have been named as finalists for Champion Trainer honours. They have trained more winners (104) than any other stable and of that tally, 10 have been Group or Listed events - FOUR at Group 1 level. Te Akau owners have also won more than $2 million in stakes.