Te Akau Ashburton Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has six horses racing on Saturday 20 October at Ashburton.

As on Friday 19 October the conditions were: fine and Dead4, rail true. No rain forecast.

1.47 p.m. R4 12 Publicist (3 c Redoute's Choice - Valadon) - Opie Bosson; found the line for third on debut over 1200 metres and finished fourth after contesting the pace a fortnight ago over 1400 metres, both at Riccarton. Ideally drawn (5) in the $10,000 Maiden 1600 metres, planned to ride with cover, he appears a good each way chance.

2.24 p.m. R5 10 Unfazed (5 m Zabeel - Faze) - Leith Innes; resumed with a good effort when widest around the home turn in the Rating 72 1200 metres on 29 September at Avondale. A winner three times over 1400m, she is ideally placed in the $25,000 Rating 72 1400 metres and rates an each way chance with the right trip from barrier eight. Fixed odds: $4.80 & $1.85.

2.24 p.m. R5 11 Devil May Care (5 g Lonhro - Devil's Song) - Opie Bosson; remained rearward after an early check in the Rating 72 1200 metres on 9 October at Riccarton, after closing solidly for fifth in the corresponding race on the same course a month earlier. His sectionals have been fine and with blinkers on he certainly has the ability to bounce back in the $25,000 Rating 72 1400 metres. Fixed odds: $6.50 & $2.30.

3.34 p.m. R7 1 Our Flying Ace (3 g Darci Brahma - Aterballetto) - Opie Bosson; has grabbed the bull by the horns with two wins from two starts and steps up in the $70,000 Barneswood Farm Stakes (Gr. 3, 1400m) - a race Te Akau has won six times. Impressive winning on debut over 1200 metres in September at Wingatui, he backed up with a polished performance in the Inglewood Stud Guineas trial (1400m) on 9 October at Riccarton, and shapes as an ideal contender for top-end spoils. Fixed odds: $2.60 & $1.10.

4.44 p.m. R9 6 Richard of Yorke (7 g Oasis Dream - Cascata) - Opie Bosson; kept up a solid gallop, without a lot of room, for third in the Rating 72 1600 metres on 9 October at Riccarton, having fought solidly after peaking on his fresh-up run a month earlier. A winner over 2400 metres at Royal Ascot, Sandown, and Randwick, he appears ideally placed from barrier three in the $30,000 Rating 82 2100 metres. Fixed odds: $3.90 & $1.55.

5.18 p.m. R10 3 Bak Da Master (4 g Mastercraftsman - Bak Da Princess) - Opie Bosson; finished close up without a lot of room off the trail in the Rating 65 2000 metres on 9 October at Riccarton. He rounded out a hat-trick of wins for trainer Jamie Richards when winning here fresh-up over a mile, and looks a danger from barrier six in the $22,500 Rating 65 2100 metres.