Te Akau: A Top Te Akau NZ Day

Date: 31 Mar 2013

Te Akau: A Top Te Akau NZ Day

he Informant's Dennis Ryan reports on Te Akau's big New Zealand day!

Jason Bridgman enjoyed what must rate as his most satisfying day as a trainer when he saddled up Burgundy and Better Than Ever for back-to-back feature wins at Awapuni.

Te Akau New Zealand's resident trainer kicked off his double with Burgundy, who scored a gutsy win in the Listed Fairdale/Goodwood Studs Flying Handicap, and was completed in the next race, the Gr. 2 Lawnmaster Awapuni Gold Cup, when former star Singapore galloper Better Than Ever refound winning form with a dashing display.

Burgundy had to find plenty before claiming victory in the 1400-metre Flying Handicap. After showing out early he surrendered the lead to Open 'N' Shut when that horse went forward after being trapped wide.

Matt Cameron pushed Burgundy through to challenge at the top of the straight, only to have to sustain serious challenges from I Do and Special Draw. To his credit he met every demand and dug in to assert his superiority over I Do by a half-neck, with a long neck to Special Draw.

“He didn't get it easy, they attacked him and attacked him,” said Cameron. “They grey horse (I Do) was laying all over him, but he refused to give in.”

Today's race was a trial for a proposed Queensland winter carnival campaign for the three-quarter-brother to former Te Akau star and now leading young stallion Darci Brahma.

Better Than Ever, on the other hand, is unlikely to have more than one further start this season after taking his win tally to 17 in the 2000-metre Awapuni Gold Cup.

The six-year-old, who was reared at Blandford Lodge before being sold as a yearling to Singapore business Tang Weng Fei, was the best of his time in Singapore with 15 wins. The decision was made after he bled last year to send him back to New Zealand and he was having his fifth start since when he responded to a smart Hayden Tinsley ride today.

When the pace slackened down the back straight, Tinsley let Better Than Ever stride to a clear lead, which he maintained to the home turn and left him with enough to withstand the late finishing Ransomed. Spiro also got going late finish third, ahead of Figure Again, Pero and Jeu De Cartes, who was forced wide early but didn't fire at the end.

Betterthanever30-03-137966Webin-L

BETTER THAN EVER CRUISES HOME TO GROUP 2 VICTORY

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