Weekend Update

David writes:

What an incredible weekend of highs and lows it has been at Te Akau Stud.

Mainly highs I would have to say, with the only low coming after Emirates Team New Zealand's almost disaster in this morning's first race of the America's Cup today, then to lead the second race, only to see it called off due to higher than allowed winds.

The highs started last Sunday night when Mark won with Irish Rebel in Singapore.  Since then we have had a further seven wins in New Zealand - giving Te Akau eight wins for the week and most of them with horses that I have bought as yearlings.

At the 2012 Karaka Sale I put four colts into a syndicate with the hope that one would finish up being a Group 1 winner, giving him the credentials to stand at stud - similar to what we have achieved with Darci Brahma.

Well this week, all four of those horses have performed.

Dane's Anatomy, who is now gelded, ran second at the Cambridge trials.  Wolfwhistle (O'Reilly/Legs), King's Rock (Fastnet Rock/Nureyev's Girl) and Aspen (Alamosa/Kirin Belle), all racing as colts, each started this week and all were winners - King's Rock and Aspen on debut.

Now that is hard to achieve!  All credit for this must go to Jason Bridgman who has done a sensational job training them all and Mark Walker who worked with me in selecting them.  To Jason and the whole team - well done on a terrific week!  Credit must also go to our stable rider Matt Cameron who is riding so well again this season and who was aboard all three of our winning colts.

I also put four colts into a similar syndicate at the 2013 Karaka sale and each one is showing us early promise, albeit early days.  I will again be doing this around the 2014 Karaka Sale so if you are keen to be involved in a syndicate of beautifully bred colts with the pedigree to stand at stud after making it on the track, watch this space!

The champagne was flowing at Te Akau Stud last night as only a few minutes after Aspen won, Thrive won the $70,000 Group 3 Ancare Merial Metric Mile at Awapuni.  I race Thrive with my good friend Ken Browne - Ken is a stock buyer and one of the best judges of sheep and cattle that I have ever met.  Thrive's mother Trove has been served by Burgundy, so fingers crossed there.

The sad part of the week has been the departure of Sam Boyd.  Sam has worked with me at Te Akau Stud for over 30 years and I am certain I have never met a better man.  He was not only unbelievably capable on the farm, he was also a great mate and used to come over most nights and have dinner with Karyn and me.  he will be sorely missed.

The good news is that we haven't seen the last of Sam forever! He will be back with us from time to time to help as we need him but first he has a major target to accomplish - the reason he has left us is to help crew a boat from the USA to New Zealand - good luck and travel safely Sam!

Tonight our nephew GD Jones is coming to stay with us, fresh from the USA where he has been a travelling coach for one of the top 20 players on the men's circuit.  Our daughter Julia Rose has also been home this weekend and with our good Christchurch friend David McCarthy spending his final night with us - it has been a busy but fun weekend.

Of course tonight all of our attention will be on Singapore racing - good luck to Mark and our team at Kranji - here's to increasing the week's winning tally!