Te Akau Update

David writes:

Where has this year gone?  The days, the months just seem to have flown by so quickly!  The weekend started with the great news that we won the big 2YO race in Singapore on Friday night with an O'Reilly that I bought from the Trelawny Stud draft at the Karaka Sale for $70,000.  This colt - named War Affair -certainly looks a bit special and will have his next start in a $300,000 2YO event in two weeks' time and Karyn and I will be there (with our owners' group) to cheer him on.  Mark is a very good trainer but his record with 2YOs over the years is simply breathtaking.

I really enjoyed the jumping races at Te Rapa on Saturday especially the steeplchases and am sorry that for the first time in 30 years I won't be at Te Rapa for the big jumps' day on 18 May as we will be in Singapore.  As you know, Karyn and I are taking a group of our owners to the International Meeting where we hope to have plenty of runners to cheer home.

This morning I was in the office as normal by at 6am as I wanted to tidy everything up for the week ahead as I am involved as an expert witness in a court case against the IRD.  The plaintiffs in this case had a dispute with the IRD over depreciation issues.  Eventually the plaintiffs took the matter to the IRD's adjudication unit as they had been told by the IRD that they would not appeal the result.  After the plaintiffs won the application, the IRD changed its position and appealed.  So I won't be on the farm from this afternoon through until Thursday evening.

We are about two thirds through the breaking in process of all our young horses and I must say I have never seen such a great bunch of yearlings.  It is certainly a thrill to see James Jackson, Davey Ellis and the team riding them in the front paddock.  Another group of six youngsters head into the stable for the first time this week.

Have a great week and I will let you know how the court case goes later in the week.