Te Akau Friday Update
7 August, 2026
David writes:
The new season has begun exactly how we hoped – with winners on both sides of the Tasman, exciting young horses stepping out at the trials, and plenty to look forward to as spring edges ever closer.
It was terrific to see our Australian stable strike at Flemington on the very first day of the 2026/27 season. There is no better way to start a new racing year than with a winner on one of the world's great racecourses, and I was delighted to see our tough Ace High mare Stage 'N' Screen produce such a courageous performance to win the A$130,000 Horses' Birthday Benchmark 78 1410m.
She really had to earn that victory against a quality field and showed plenty of determination in the closing stages. Any win at Flemington is special, and I want to congratulate Mark Walker, Ben Gleeson and our entire Cranbourne team on a wonderful result.
Three days later our Australian stable was back in the winner's circle, this time at Bairnsdale, where Dismantle was most impressive. It was only her third start since joining our stable and I thought she really announced herself with the way she powered to the line. She is certainly a mare heading in the right direction and it was another excellent training performance by all of our dedicated team in Victoria.
Back home in New Zealand, winter racing is always a little quieter for us. Heavy tracks are very much the order of the day at this time of the year and, as a result, we never have a large team racing through the winter months. Our focus is very much on preparing horses for the better tracks of spring and beyond.
Tuesday's Waikato Thoroughbred Racing trials at Te Rapa were therefore an important day for us, with 31 horses stepping out as they continued their education and fitness ahead of the new season.
Despite the Heavy10 conditions, it was a very encouraging day.
Asturia finished strongly to win her 1100-metre maiden heat under Michael McNab, while Out Of The Blue produced one of the most eye-catching performances of the day. Settling last in his 900-metre heat, the Tivaci gelding quickened impressively between runners to snatch victory under Masa Hashizume.
Zaharias completed our winning trio, travelling comfortably before lengthening strongly over the concluding stages to win her 900-metre heat for Michael McNab.
There were also plenty of other pleasing performances. Paravane led and fought on strongly for second, while Quenza closed powerfully from the rear to finish second in her heat. With A Vengeance sustained a determined finish for second over 900 metres, while Katrina Petrova showed her customary natural speed to lead and fought on gamely when challenged.
Among many other encouraging efforts, Born To Be Royal, Bolli Belle, Kygo Star, Towering Vision, Typhoon Lucy, Concurrence, System Of Play, No Curfew, The Queen's Sword, Sword Of Stars, Aquadream, Acrobella and Arrazola all pleased us while remaining under varying degrees of restraint.
It really was an all-hands-on-deck day for our team and, while there is still plenty of work ahead, it was exciting to see so many horses heading in the right direction.
One of the highlights of the day for me was catching up with so many of our owners. We hosted another Te Akau Owners' Morning Tea at Te Rapa and, while it was certainly a bitterly cold day with a biting wind sweeping across the course, it was wonderful to spend time together over a coffee before everyone headed back outside to brave the elements and take in each trial.
Karyn and I always enjoy these opportunities to catch up with our owners. Their loyalty and support mean a great deal to all of us and we are very grateful that so many made the effort to join us.
Life on the farm has also been extremely busy. Lambing is now in full swing and it is always a wonderful time of the year seeing so many healthy lambs arriving. We have been fortunate to welcome plenty of twins and even quite a few sets of triplets over recent weeks.
There have also been some very hard frosts this week, reminding us that winter is certainly not over yet. It is a tough time of the year for both our stable and farm teams, who are often out working long before daylight in some challenging conditions, but they continue to do a magnificent job every day with a smile on their faces. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a dedicated group of people looking after our horses and stock.
Looking ahead, we are hoping to have a good team racing at Taupo on Sunday 16 August, where, weather permitting, we are looking forward to racing on improved ground. There will also be a Group and Listed trial before the race meeting, making it another important day as we continue building momentum into spring.
Before I sign off this week, I wanted to mention a colt that has really got the team talking.
His name is Scorching, a colt by the outstanding sire Too Darn Hot, and he has continued to impress everyone in our stable. He is showing us plenty of above-average promise at this early stage and, all going to plan, he will be one of our first two-year-olds to trial this season when he heads to Avondale next week.
He comes from a family renowned for producing early, precocious horses and, while there is still plenty of water to go under the bridge, he is certainly a colt we are looking forward to seeing take the next step.
His sire, Too Darn Hot, has quickly established himself as one of the world's outstanding young stallions. Crowned Australia's Champion First Season Sire in 2024 after record-breaking first-crop earnings of more than A$4 million, he has already produced elite Group 1 performers across both hemispheres, including champions Broadsiding, Fallen Angel and Native Approach.
Too Darn Hot's progeny has demonstrated exceptional speed, class and consistency from an early age, while his remarkable commercial success in the sale ring reflects the confidence breeders and buyers have in his stock worldwide - he sired a A$2.2 million flagship colt at the 2026 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and this year will command a service fee of A$275,000.
Drop Karyn and email if you would like to see his recent progress updates, but below enjoy his jump out - [email protected]
As always, there is plenty happening at Te Akau and, while winter is still reminding us it hasn't quite finished yet, there is certainly a real sense that spring is just around the corner.
The excitement is building, our horses are coming to hand nicely, and all of us are looking forward to what promises to be another exciting season.
Have a great weekend everyone and good luck to our owners with runners this weekend at Te Rapa and Riccarton!