Te Akau Rotorua Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has four horses racing on Wednesday 16 January at Rotorua.

As on Tuesday 15 January the conditions were: fine and Slow7, rail out 4 metres. 2mls rain forecast Tuesday, 6mls race day.

1.15 p.m. R2 11 Spirit of Galway (3 f Rip Van Winkle - Galway) - Matt Cameron; has placed three from three this season with strong finishes, most recently in the fastest final 600m (33.7) on 30 December in the Maiden 1000 metres at Taupo. A three-quarter sister to Group One winner Shillelagh (Savabeel) and stakes winner Grazia (Savabeel), both trained by Te Akau, she too is naturally talented, has shown to handle give, and warrants favouritism in the $10,000 Maiden 1230 metres.

3.07 p.m. R5 2 Griffin (4 g Iffraaj - Double Elle) - Chelsea Burdan (a4); resumed on a bright note, with Burdan aboard, winning the Rating 65 1200 metres on 30 December at Taupo, and steps up in the $11,000 Rating 72 1400 metres. He sprinted home on Slow7 to win his sole start as a two-year-old and the brother of triple Group One winner Gingernuts should go well again with weight relief to 53.5kgs.

3.42 p.m. R6 6 Elegant D'Oro (5 m Medaglia d'Oro - Elegant Fashion) - Jason Waddell; settled off the pace and kept up a strong finish for second in the Rating 65 2000 metres on 27 December at New Plymouth - a good form race. Placed here at her only start, a genuine tempo would assist getting home solidly and proving competitive again.

4.59 p.m. R8 7 Duck Road (3 g Ekraar - Silver Buttons) - Samantha Collett; performed well in three trials before finishing third here on debut in September. Freshened to round off solidly for second when resuming on 1 January in the Maiden 3YO 1200 metres at Hastings, he appears ideally placed in the $10,000 Maiden 1400 metres and give in the ground should aid his competitiveness.