Te Akau's Ready to Run

David writes:

I hope you all enjoyed seeing the Ready to Run you-tube story that we posted on our web site yesterday.  We will be doing a lot more of this sort of thing in the months ahead as we lead up to the January Karaka Sales.  Our youngest daughter Julia-Rose is doing this for me and you can see how capable she is.

Today I am off to Auckland for most of the week for the Ready to Run Sale.  Gosh I am blown away with the quality that this sale has now attracted and I am definitely going to buy this week at Karaka.

Even though we did not win a race at Riccarton on Saturday, for Darci's  Dream run to finish second in the $300,000 Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock 1000 Guineas was a terrific effort. This adds huge value to not only Darci's Dream but also to her full sister Windborne, her mother Sweet Dreams Baby and her future foals plus we have a beautiful Alamosa colt to sell at this year's Karaka sale who is a half-brother to Darci's Dream.

I bet the owners of Windborne are smiling at how astute John Galvin was buying Darci's Dream and her full sister Windborne.  John got a some criticism for this but isn't he having the last laugh? Windborne is racing next Saturday at Counties in a stakes' race and she was the star track worker at Matamata on Saturday morning.

Another horse coming to hand really well is King's Rock and nothing will give me greater pleasure than to see this horse winning.  The owners of King's Rock have been so understanding and patient and I have a feeling that this horse is going to reward this patience by winning a really good race like the Waikato Cup, the Counties Cup, Auckland Cup, a race like that.  It might not be until next year but providing he stays sound I am pretty sure he will win a race like that.
Another horse to impress in track work is Sequitur, a High Chaparral colt that I bought at last year's Ready to Run Sale.  Sequitur is bred on the same cross as Dundeel being by High Chaparral out of a Zabeel mare.  This horse will be ready to trial in the next few weeks and he has grown into a lovely individual.

This morning I have been right around the whole farm with Luke Copeland who looks after all the cattle on Te Akau Stud.  Luke left school over 15 years ago and has worked with me ever since.  He is good with the cattle and marvellous with difficult colts.  The quality of grass is amazing at present and the stock are doing exceptionally well.

Next week we will be having our first fat lamb draft while this week we will be selling two units of steers and 4 units of bulls (35 cattle to a unit).  I have a feeling that the beef price might have reached its peak.  The steers we are selling will make just over $2,300 while the bulls are not quite as heavy but will still make over $2,200 each.

The weekend finished on a huge high with Mark Walker winning yet another two races in Singapore.  Both horses I bought at the Karaka Sales with Chase coming from the Ready to Run sale and Aspen coming from the Karaka Premier yearling sale.  Aspin absolutely bolted in, in the last race and although he will now be up a class I can see him going a long way in Singapore.  He has always been a horse that has really impressed me.

The syndicate that Aspen is part of is now really starting to get the results that they have wanted as Aspen is in the same syndicate as Wolfwhistle and King's Rock.

Go the Ready to Run sale! and if you are anywhere near Auckland come out here to the Karaka Sale.  You will find the best sales complex for thoroughbreds in the world and there will be Group One horses for certain sold at this week's sale.  So if you are interested in buying a "ready made" racehorse why bid against me? You could save yourself a lot of money by being part of the Te Akau team. This week I will be on my mobile 021 925 151.