A Tough Decision

David writes:

It certainly is a tough decision to make - when you are a stable rider for the country's leading stable of last season you will from time to time have to make a difficult call.

That is exactly the situation Te Akau stable rider Matthew Cameron has been in.  Te Akau lines up two outstanding colts in this Saturday's Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas - a race the stable has won five times in the past 12 years - together with four editions of the Group 1 NZ 1000 Guineas.

We are proud to line up the second and third favourites for this iconic race:

Hall of Fame, a Savabeel colt, has won both the Guineas' Trial (by an easy 3.25 lengths) and the Listed Zacinto Stakes (by an impressive 5 lengths) since arriving in the South.  Prior to travelling to our southern base, he had finished just a long neck second (from a wide barrier) to Ugo Foscolo at Hawkes Bay. He has won three of his six starts together with two second's and a fourth placing and looks to have an exciting future ahead of him.  I bought him at last year's Ready to Run Sale at Karaka.

Heroic Valour, our unbeaten Group 1 winning 2YO of last season by Fastnet Rock, claimed the Listed Tavistock Northland Breeders' Stakes fresh up this season, followed by a third placing in the Group 2 Hawkes Bay Guineas on ground not to his liking.  He was then second in the Listed Barneswood Farm Stakes at Ashburton, a traditional lead up to the Guineas.  He has never finished further back than third and has won four of his six starts.  He was his superstar sire's first ever Group 1 winning 2YO in the world and was runner up in the Champion 2YO category last season.  He was purchased by me at the Karaka Premier Sale and has now won over $200,000.

I advised Matthew to head to Christchurch last night so that he was on hand to ride both colts in track work this morning at Riccarton and he reported to me that they both gave him a tremendous feel and there was very little between them - they are both in great order and are primed and ready for action on Saturday.

However a choice had to be made by Matthew  - and has been.  I am pleased to confirm that we have advised the owners of both colts this morning that Hall of Fame will be ridden by Matthew Cameron and Michael McNab will take the mount aboard Heroic Valour, a colt that he rides in track work and knows very well.

We look forward to bringing you a preview of the event when the draws and other details are confirmed tomorrow.  Meantime have a fantastic Melbourne Cup Day - and go the Te Akau team at Ellerslie (Vive La Difference and Foreigner) and Flemington (Shillelagh with Joao Moreira).