Te Akau Racing
Discover the people, places and achievements behind New Zealand’s most successful thoroughbred racing operation.
More than four decades of racing excellence.
Te Akau Racing’s story is one of vision, exceptional horses and the people who bring out their best. For more than four decades, our commitment to horsemanship, careful development and success for our owners has established Te Akau among Australasia’s leading racing operations.
Te Akau Stud — where the winning begins
The foundations of Te Akau’s success are found at Te Akau Stud, where Sir David’s longstanding investment in the land and commitment to pasture quality provide an exceptional environment for thoroughbreds.
Large paddocks give horses the freedom to move, develop naturally and enjoy valuable time away from the training stable. The property supports foals, weanlings and broodmares, alongside yearling education, pre-training, training and spelling, with each stage carefully managed by our experienced team.
Operating alongside a successful sheep and cattle business, Te Akau Stud brings together expert land management and horsemanship to support the wellbeing and development of every horse in our care with a record of sustained success.
Joining Te Akau means becoming part of a stable with a proven record across generations of horses, trainers and owners.
At Te Akau we take pride in our outstanding record of racing success over that time. By joining Te Akau Racing you are joining a stable that has a proven track record:
- 17 Trainers’ Premierships across New Zealand and Singapore: 13 in New Zealand and four in Singapore.
- Seven consecutive New Zealand Trainers’ Premierships through the 2025/26 season.
- More than 100 Group One victories and over 400 stakes wins.
- 14 combined winners of the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas and New Zealand 1000 Guineas.
- Eight Karaka Million 2YO winners, including seven consecutive victories from 2017 to 2023.
- The only stable to complete the Karaka Million 2YO and Karaka Million 3YO double in the same year, achieving the feat in 2020, 2022 and 2025.
- Eight New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year winners.
- 13 New Zealand Champion Two-Year-Old titles, most recently with Lara Antipova for the 2025/26 season.
- Selection, syndication and training of Damask Rose, winner of the inaugural NZB Kiwi in 2025.
- A New Zealand record of 203 wins in a season, achieved by Mark Walker in 2022/23.
- A New Zealand record of NZ$9.27 million in domestic prize money established by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson in 2024/25.
- More than 2,000 career winners for Mark Walker, who reached the milestone in 2024, all under the Te Akau banner.
TE AKAU RACING STABLES
MATAMATA, NEW ZEALAND
Te Akau Racing Stables New Zealand is based at the Matamata training centre on the North Island of New Zealand.
The Matamata training centre, situated at the Matamata Racecourse, offers first-class training facilities for approximately 600 horses.
The facility is home to four separate Te Akau barns on the course, with a 12-acre post-and-railed property adjacent to the Matamata track where horses can spend time in day paddocks.
We own modern treadmill and horse walking machines, providing training variety and tailored regimens for each horse. Additionally, we contract a professional water treadmill partner, a pivotal component in our innovative approach to our training programme.
At the helm of our Matamata training centre is Te Akau New Zealand trainers Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson. Last season (2024/25), the pair recorded the sixth consecutive Training Premiership for the stable, 16th in total, and established a new record of $9.27 million in prize money.
At Matamata, Walker & Bergerson are aided by assistant trainer Reece Trumper, along with a dedicated team of experienced and talented track work riders, stable-hands, vets, farriers, and administrative staff.
RICCARTON, NEW ZEALAND
Te Akau Racing Stables also has a permanent training base at Riccarton Racecourse, Christchurch, on the South Island of New Zealand.
Led by assistant trainer Hunter Durrant, Te Akau won the South Island Training Premiership last season (2024-25), and leads again this season with 44 wins, including six stakes’ wins.
CRANBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
Te Akau Racing Australia became a reality in September 2023. Te Akau’s new state-of-the-art, purpose built stable has been constructed by the Cranbourne Turf Club, Victoria, at its world-class training centre.
The Cranbourne training complex is the largest thoroughbred training facility in the southern hemisphere, with over 140 licensed trainers and over 1,400 horses in training.
Built to high specifications, Te Akau currently has 60 boxes with the aim of having 80 in training.
The interest being shown by major Australian studs and owners in being involved with Te Akau Australia, and giving us horses to train, has been huge.
Government funding of almost A$5 million in 2014 saw the Cranbourne Turf Club construct new on-course stables at the centre. The state government also announced further significant funding for a world class equine hospital which will be in close proximity to Te Akau’s new stable.
The first runner for the stable was subsequent 10-time Group One winner, Champion Australian Sprinter, and 2024 New Zealand Horse of the Year Imperatriz, while last season trainer Mark Walker also steered the Te Akau stable to win NZ$7.6 million in stakes money in Australia.
Walker won 24 races, including nine stakes’ wins (five Group One), and had the best Metropolitan strike rate (4.1) comprising 15 wins from 62 starts.
