Welcome Back Laura!

How good is a full-circle moment? There’s a bit of nostalgia, a lot of pride and appreciation as one chapter closes and another reopens. As we farewell Lena Jones, a much-loved and hugely respected member of our Te Akau team, we’re also thrilled to be welcoming back a familiar face who has grown up with Te Akau, taken on the world, and now returns home ready for her next step. Welcome back, Laura!

Following eight years of outstanding service and fulfilling an enormously important role, Lena was diligent, professional, and a delight to work with, and her departure is tinged with sadness by all the team, as she pursues the duties of a growing family and business.

With her partner Benji King, the pair has two young children and a burgeoning racehorse agistment, pre-training, and training business.

“It’s time to move on to focus on our small family and we’re pretty busy with our own side of things, spelling horses, Benji pre-training and training, and trying to keep up with the property and general life,” Lena said.

“The job has given me plenty of opportunities to meet and work with other industry participants and clients. I’ve learnt a whole range of things that I previously have not had to manage or be in charge of. It’s been good for my organizational skills and a really good learning curve. “Over the years, my role had evolved quite a bit regarding owner communications, which Te Akau prides itself on, to collation of the different sources of information from track work, trot ups, voiceovers, videos, rehab, race previews etc.”

Taking up the role of Te Akau Stable Manager is Laura Macnab, who first started working for Te Akau as a 16-year-old and recently returned to New Zealand following nearly three years working in the thoroughbred industry in Newmarket, UK.

“It’s great to have Laura (Macnab) taking up the role, and reassuring to me, because it’s a unique and pivotal position and Laura had worked for Te Akau over the years and understands and knows the people and systems,” Lena added.

Te Akau principal David Ellis CNZM first gave Laura a job working through school and university holidays at Te Akau Stud, and she then joined the stable team in Matamata. Before leaving for her overseas experience, she advanced to foreperson in one of the barns at Matamata.

She had her time highlighted at Te Akau when strapping Imperatriz to win the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint and Group 2 Foxbridge Plate. She also strapped Maven Belle to win the Group 3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy, and Pin Me Up (Pins) in the $1 million Karaka Million 3YO Classic.

Laura graduated with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science, majoring in Equine, from Massey University, and she also completed the 2020 NZTBA Irish National Stud Breeding & Management Diploma Scholarship, sponsored by Keith and Faith Taylor Trust (Trelawney Stud).

“It was a really good trip to the UK,” Laura said.

“I worked for John and Thady Gosden for over two years at their stables in Newmarket, where I move up to a head-lad role, while I was riding and working in the barns, and the last six months I worked with a young trainer that was starting out and also a breaking and pre-training yard.

“It was a really broad experience, going to meetings at Royal Ascot, Epsom Downs, Glorious Goodwood for the festival meetings and Champions Weekend, the Ebor Festival at York, Cheltenham for the jumps' racing carnival, and loads of smaller tracks too.

“Newmarket is the epicentre, I’d say. There’s about 2,500 acres of gallops and over 3000 horses using the tracks every day, and maybe 70 or 80 trainers. The town is completely dominated by the racehorses and everything to do with them.

“The average person in the UK is pretty invested in racing, it seems. They’ll go racing just because they enjoy going to the races, having a punt, and not necessarily had anything to do with horses from a hands-on perspective. It’s really good.

“I was starting to think about coming home when I saw the job advertised, and also wanted to find something in racing a bit different to working in the barns. For me, I regard it as the next step in my working career and a great opportunity.

“I emailed in my covering letter and CV to Karyn and had a good chat to David about the role. I’ve worked in some form for Te Akau since I was 16 and I’m nearly 28, so it’s 12 years of already having been involved in some way.

“My parents farm in the Te Akau District and I’ve worked at the farm (Te Akau Stud) and the stables, so it’s great to come back and work for them again after all the time and effort they invested in me.

“David and Karyn have always supported me, kept in touch, and it’s feels good to be back in familiar territory and working again for Te Akau.

“Having been aware of the systems in place, previously, I understand the importance of communications to the owners about their horses and we want to keep improving their experience around all aspects of horse racing.

“Te Akau has moved with technology, allowing them to share day-to-day updates about racing in general, and working to continually upgrade the experience for the owners. They’re using all the platforms available to stay up to date.

“I’m pleased to be back in New Zealand, and I feel I’ve made the right decision to come home when I did.

“I have big shoes to fill in replacing Lena and she’s been really great and so helpful in me understanding everything involved in the role. I anticipate I’ll be keeping in touch with her when she does go, and as I’m getting into the swing of things.”

Please join us in farewelling Lena, and in warmly welcoming Laura back!