Te Akau Avondale Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has five horses racing on Wednesday 22 February at Avondale.

As on Tuesday 21 February the conditions were: fine and Dead4, rail true. Half a millimetre rain forecast race day morning.

1.30 p.m. R3 12 Lady Amadeus (3 f Medaglia D'oro - Rialto Bridge) - Cameron Lammas; kept up a bold gallop after leading to finish second when trialling over 1000 metres on 7 February at Matamata, and after debuting in November she resumes off 87 days in the Maiden 1200 metres. She meets some rivals at the head of the field with handy form, along with fellow three-year-old filly Uber Couger (Shocking), but gets her chance to make an impression from barrier five in the Maiden 1200 metres.

2.07 p.m. R4 16 Scarlet Princess (3 f Redwood - Volks Princess) - Cameron Lammas; began awkwardly before circling from last at the 600m and finishing fifth in the NZB Pearl Series Maiden 3YO Fillies 1200 metres on 9 February at Te Aroha, after a close second to stable-mate Foreigner (Savabeel) over 1400 metres on 27 December at Rotorua. She appears an each way chance with luck in running from barrier eleven in the Maiden 1400 metres.

She is also an acceptor in the following race: 2.40 p.m. R5 7, drawn barrier sixteen in the $12,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Pearl Series Maiden Fillies & Mares 1400 metres, Lammas engaged, with a decision to be made on race day morning.

3.15 p.m. R6 8 Sassy ‘N' Smart (3 f Smart Missile - Panorama Ridge) - Cameron Lammas; quickened from off the pace to lead at the 200m and proved too good when winning her trial over 1000 metres on 7 February at Matamata. A two-year-old winner of the Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) and beaten a nose in the Matamata Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m), last season, she looked ready to resume racing off 158 days in the Rating 75 1200 metres.

3.50 p.m. R7 2 Spritz (4 m Thorn Park - Spray) - Craig Grylls; travelled in midfield on the rail, after being slowly away, before finishing fourth in the NZB Pearl Series Rating 65 Fillies & Mares 1400 metres on 10 February at New Plymouth, after receiving no room in the straight when resuming prior at Wanganui. In the $12,000 Pearl Series Rating 65 Fillies & Mares 1600 metres, and eligible for the $11,500 bonus, she scored her Maiden win here in a Pearl Series race over a mile and should prove competitive again if able to utilize barrier one.

3.50 p.m. R7 9 Tatters (4 m Tavistock - Rattle) - Jason Waddell; made good headway from last, clocking the fastest final 600m (34.4) when running through the line solidly for sixth in the NZB Pearl Series Rating 65 1400 metres at Te Rapa, and now contests the $12,000 Pearl Series Rating 65 Fillies & Mares 1600 metres, where she is eligible for the $11,500 bonus. Like her stable-mate, Spritz, above, she too can prove competitive if able to utilize a handy draw (3).