Rotorua Group Horses' Trial

Te Akau trialled Group winning horses at prior to the races at Rotorua on Saturday 9 April 2022

Weather: fine, track: Soft5, rail: true.

Heat 1 Open 1050 metres (short head, short neck 1:03.3)

Entriviere (5 m Tavistock - Marcey's Belt) - Michael McNab; eased to last from a wider gate, was six lengths off the leader at the 600m, and powered up in the straight for fourth.

The Sistema Railway (Gr. 1, 1200m) winner in January was freshened since running second in the BCD Sprint (Gr. 1, 1400m) at Te Rapa in February. She is scheduled to trial again on 26 April at Taupo, before flying to Australia. She is owned by Te Akau Buckle Up Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM).

Sword of State (3 c Snitzel - In the Vanguard) - Opie Bosson; trailed third on the inner, worked home behind leaders for fifth, and will improve for it.

Champion Two-Year-Old and Group 1 winner Sword of State was freshened since winning the King's Plate (Gr. 3, 1200m) on Derby Day (5 March) at Ellerslie. He is also scheduled to trial again on 26 April at Taupo, fly to Australia, and resume in the Gold Coast Guineas (Gr. 3, 1200m) on 7 May in a 'return to where it all began'. Purchased as a yearling by David Ellis at the Gold Coast Sale, he is owned by the Te Akau 2020 Four Colts' Breeding Syndicate (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM), and will stand at Cambridge Stud on retirement.

Mai Tai (5 m Atlante - Tropical Punch) - Niranjan Parmar; was caught three wide infifth, experiencing a tougher trip, and finished behind leading bunch but was not knocked around.

Bred and owned by Hawkins' family of Wentwood Grange, stakes' winner and Group 2 & 3 placed, Mai Tai is preparing for the $220,000 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) on Easter Saturday (16 April) at Te Rapa.