Quality Te Akau Team

The Informant's Dennis Ryan writes:

Fresh from notching the 250th win of his training career, Jason Bridgman will have quality on his side as he sets his sights on feature events on the first day of the Wellington Cup carnival.

Bridgman took his tally to 250 when Precious Time scored narrowly in the fourth race at Awapuni on Saturday. Later the same hour at Ellerslie, fresh-up stable runner Spellbinder added another, while Fastnet Rock colt Longbeach made it 252 when he capped a string of placings with victory at today's Avondale meeting.

Since taking up the role as Te Akau Racing's New Zealand trainer in 2010 following Mark Walker's relocation to Singapore, Bridgman's career has gone ahead in leaps and bounds. He made the premiership top-10 with 47 wins in 2010-11, rose to fifth and sixth place with 70 and 55 wins in the following two seasons, and now with 48 wins and a six-win premiership lead, he's well on target to better his previous best figures.

A talented contingent for Trentham on Saturday promises to continue Bridgman's winning run, with Chambord and Aspen targeting the Gr. 1 Ocean Park Levin Classic, Abidewithme and Bronte Lass likewise doubling up in the Listed Anniversary Handicap, and two-year-old Smashing entered for the Gr. 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes.

“Chambord and Aspen (third and fourth) both performed very well in the Great Northern Guineas and I expect them to be very competitive in the Levin Classic,” Bridgman said. “Abidewithme has really come solid with wins in her only two starts this season and she and Bronte Lass will both get into the Anniversary near the minimum.

“Smashing is out of Ruud Van Slaats and has a lot of natural ability. She looked the part when she won on debut at Taranaki and has gone on the right way since.”

Stable jockey Matt Cameron, who took his career tally to 700 with a double at Ellerslie on Saturday, will ride Chambord, Abidewithme and Smashing, while Leith Innes has been booked for Aspen and Bronte Lass.

Bridgman's Gr. 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Costa Viva will be out to extend her lead in New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year series when she heads to the Gr. 3 Tiger Prawn Desert Gold Stakes on the last day of the Trentham carnival on Saturday week.