Te Akau: Your Last Chance

David writes:Each year at the Karaka Sales I buy yearlings to sell to our owners. I always secretly hope they don't all sell because I love taking shares myself but we have always had a policy of not taking shares in horses at the expense of our owners - i.e. we are not going to turn owners away because we want a share ourselves. I would hate my owners to think that I had put myself ahead of them.

I now only have shares remaining in three yearlings and if nobody takes them by 6.00pm on Tuesday then Karyn and I will take them ourselves and we can say with hand on heart, everybody has had their chance.

The first is a stunning KEEPER filly out of SILK SLIPPER who I paid $205,000 for. This is one of the most beautiful fillies that I have ever bought and she had an outstanding pedigree to match her beautiful looks. She is a granddaughter of the Nijinksy mare Dancing Show - she is a half sister to Shantha's Choice who is one of the greatest broodmares of the modern era. She is the mother of Redoute's Choice, Platinum Scissors, Manhattan Rain - all Group 1 winners. This is the same family as the Fastnet Rock colt who made $1.975 million at Karaka this year.

This filly could well be in the Karaka Million and I get excited just looking at her in the paddock. We will start breaking her in during April/

A 5% share in her would cost you $10,250 plus GST
A 10% share would cost you $20,500 plus GST
A 20% share would be $41,000 plus GST
Our next filly is a ROAD TO ROCK filly out of MYA who I paid $80,000 for - Lot 267. This filly was bought at the premier sale and is a granddaughter of the Zabeel mare Katie O'Neill. Road to Rock is a very exciting young stallion standing at Bill Gleeson's Wellfield Lodge. I just love the Encosta de Lago/Zabeel cross. This lass is a well balanced filly with class who I could well see running in the group 2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes this time next year and then we would get her ready for the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas in the Spring.

A 5% share in her would cost you $4,000 plus GST
A 10% share would cost you $8,000 plus GST
A 20% share would cost you $16,000 plus GST
The final yearling is a TAVISTOCK colt - another emerging young sire who looks to have a huge future ahead of him. He himself is by Montjeu who was one of the great all-time sires who has left winners of three English Derbies and even - with two quinellas in the great race.

This colt is from the family of Burst who won the group 1 Golden Slipper when ridden by Shane Dye. I think this colt could well be Tavistock's first winner - he certainly could be in the Karaka Million race next January.

This is a strong colt who uses himself exceptionally well when he walks and he really looks like a winner to me.

He cost me $70,000 plus GST - so a 5% share in him would be $3,500 plus GST.
A 10% share would be $7,000 plus GST
A 20% share would be $14,000 plus GST
After Tuesday night they will all be sold and then I am going to turn my attention to the Sydney Easter Sale followed by the June Sale at the Gold Coast.

After the Gold Coast, the next sale I am attending this year is in Deauville in France in August. Yes - each year I intend to attend this sale and Te Akau will be going worldwide in our search for the very best bloodstock on offer.