Te Akau Trialists Fired up at Te Rapa

The New Zealand Herald reports:

Te Akau's newly established head trainer Jamie Richards took a strong team to the Te Rapa trials yesterday, showcasing the potential prominence the tangerine and blue silks will have in the spring.

Last season's champion New Zealand two-year-old Melody Belle was impressive in her 900m heat on Te Rapa's inside track.

Richards is hoping for big things from the Commands filly, who had somewhat of a disappointing three-year-old season, despite winning the Gr.3 Mongolian Khan Trophy (1200m) on Karaka Million night.

"I'm really pleased with her," Richards said. "She's the biggest and strongest she's been.

"Her three-year-old career didn't go the way we had planned, but often those good two-year-olds can miss a year and we're looking forward to the four-year-old season with her.

"At this stage, she'll trial in three weeks at Te Teko and then she'll run first-up in the Foxbridge and all going well will head toward Hastings."

Age of Fire, a potential Cambridge Stud stallion prospect, didn't favour the track conditions in his 900m heat, finishing at the tail of the four horse field and will join his stablemate at Te Teko in three weeks.

Richards said he will be focused on shorter distances this spring after the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) winner disappointed in his unplaced runs in the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) and Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) in his Australian autumn campaign.

"We probably tried to make him stay as a three-year-old," Richards said. "We believe he is a sprinter-miler, so we'll just keep him short and sharp for the meantime.

"He'll trial at Te Teko. He probably just didn't like the track conditions out there today. He's a rising four-year-old entire and Opie [Bosson, jockey] said he had really come on with it. He probably needs the blinkers back on as well."

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