Top Award for Teina

Along with winning Champion Two-Year-Old, Champion Three-Year-Old, Horse of the Year, and Champion Trainers and Stable, each for the third year in a row, at the Matamata Racing Awards and Appreciation evening held on Monday night at Matamata Racecourse, a popular staff member Teina Walters also won the J.B. Christophers Outstanding Stablehand/Strapper Award.

“It's a tribute to the hard work we all put in behind the scenes and I think the award needs to go to each and every one of us,” said Walters, who received an engraved trophy and can be seen on race days wearing his trademark Akubra hat.

“It's the trainer and track work riders that do all the major work and I'm just there when the light comes on race day, but I feel very privileged at the same time.”

Walters started as a stable-hand for Te Akau when still attending Matamata College, and nearly a decade later, with a Bachelor of E-Commerce Degree awaiting completion this summer, he remains drawn to the racing industry.

“I'm a big fan of the racing competition and winning,” Walters said. “I do like winning and the process of winning is always good to be a part of, and it's a thrill that you don't really get in any other places or industries - that thrill of being there with the horse, the early mornings and hard work all coming to fruition on race day is something that really keeps me going.

“A bit of passion on race day never goes astray and it's great to celebrate the successes.

“You take a really good horse like Heroic Valour, the first Group One winning two-year-old for Fastnet Rock, who has had so many seconds in big races and you realise there and then that every horse is capable of winning and every horse is capable of losing, at the same time.”

Having been with Te Akau Racing for so long, Walters has a genuine understanding of quality horses.

“It's always top of the line,” he said. “It is good to be involved with the top echelon of breeding, buying, and selecting, and that's a long, hard process which I've witnessed first-hand when going around with Jamie (Richards) looking at the yearlings.

“You develop a realisation of how good some these horses are that we have at the stables, how beautifully bred they are, and the staff here are very fortunate that we get to work with them on a daily basis.”

As a young man on the rise, Walters has aspirations of continuation within the Thoroughbred industry.

“As an industry, we have a few changes that we need to make if we want to really solidify ourselves as a serious player in Australasia, and globally. But I think as we progress and use technology to help us we definitely have a chance to keep improving amongst the biggest sports that are around today.”

Also a skilled analyst of form, Walters is looking forward to the exploits of the horses during the coming season.

“With the current stock we have on hand, you'd be expecting another big season for David (Ellis), Jamie Richards, all the owners and the whole team. We've got some lovely horses around us and hopefully we can again win some of the big races and be in the winner's circle as often as possible,” he said.

Walters kicked the season off by strapping Melody Belle (Commands) in the $100,000 Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate (Gr. 2, 1200m) on 19 August at Te Rapa, claiming an exciting last stride victory.

“She's determined and stronger than a few of the colts at the moment. I was standing on the line and wasn't sure until I heard it on the loudspeaker, but she got up on the outside,” he said.

Probed on horses he is excited to see out racing again, Walters said: “Avantage (below) is always a horse that is going to get a lot of accolades and she's definitely heading in the right direction, and she'll be an exciting horse to watch.

“As far as yearlings go, I quite like a Savabeel filly out of Far Fetched, called Probabeel, and she might be one to watch. She's a little black-booker. And hopefully Embellish (below) can get back to his winning form. He looks outstanding, trotting up well and he's definitely feeling good.”

Te Akau principal David Ellis said: “Teina has been with us for a long time. He and his brothers: KC and Adam. KC was an apprentice to us and they're some of the best young blokes that we've ever had working at Te Akau. When we had our South Island stable, KC went down and finished his apprenticeship with Gus Clutterbuck, who has worked with Mark (Walker) for the last six years in Singapore.

“Teina is an outstanding and likeable young man. He's just about completed a university degree and he's someone that I hold in a very high regard, and I'm so proud to have him in my team. The Strapper award he received was richly deserved and we value his ongoing contribution because he and all of our staff are just so important.”