Believe and Receive

Cryptic Question – what does this mean ?

 

 

 

 

Read On to find out –

Saturday June 17th 2017, Skyweka set off to contest a 1400m race at Ruakaka on a Sunny winter’s day with the track categorised as a Dead 4.  The result was a 5th placing for in a field of 8.  Tony’s post race report will come through tomorrow, but our interpretation of the events from our viewing platform and also after a post race discussion with Vicky Pike was this:

Skyweka looked great – racing fit.  Just before the start they loaded a horse next to her who was agitated, and Skyweka momentarily hit her nose on the gates.  She jumped well enough but had no early speed and within a few strides she was  a length and a half last.  She made up ground in the straight to be 3.7 metres from the winning horse.  We had a discussion after the race,  and chatted about future options for Skyweka going forward;  progressing towards longer distances for the mare with a step up to 1600 metres, moving forward then to race over 2000 metres which is what she is bred to do. We also talked about the tracks being a factor during this race campaign – nothing over a Dead 5 will work for her so we have to have a good track surface.

May we draw an analogy from Team NZ’s  America’s Cup campaign:

• The weather is about as changeable as the shifty winds in America’s Cup racing
• New Zealand has a wonderfully designed boat –
• we have a wonderfully designed / bred horse – we know she has the goods to perform given the right conditions
• In certain weather conditions Team NZ appear to have an advantage –
• when the track surface is good and Skyweka is fit, plus the race is at her suited distance, then she will have the advantage
• Burling is a great helmsman and tactician  –
• Pike is our man
• Today Burling and his team stuck to their knitting and consistently did what they needed to do to achieve a 1 nil lead
• As Wekas we have come this far – we must stick to our knitting, stay solid, back Skyweka and Tony Pike and hope for good weather to prevail a little longer so that Skyweka can add another win or two to her list.  Then we aim for something to focus on in the way of Black Type

Finally –  to answer the cryptic puzzle at the beginning of this blog – well it’s Seabiscuit of course.  If you haven’t read Laura Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit, it is worth the time.   Seabiscuit failed to win his first 17 races, usually finishing back in the field.  But someone believed and received and the story is legend.   So believe and receive team – we don’t have a Seabiscuit but we do have a Skyweka.  Heading forward we hold firm and trust in the process we have all shared.  We will evaluate everything as a team when this campaign finishes

Thanks to everyone for your continued support and for being a part of our great team of Wekas