Te Akau Avondale Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has two horses racing on Wednesday 12 July at Avondale.

As on Tuesday 11 July the conditions were: cloudy and Heavy11, rail out 5 metres. Showers forecast.

12.28 p.m. R2 5 The Chaser (3 g Swiss Ace - Intelligentsia) - Mark Du Plessis; was a creditable sixth on debut in the Maiden 1200 metres on 21 June at Pukekohe, and three weeks later contests the $10,000 Maiden 1400 metres, having looked promising when finishing first and second, respectively, in two trials on the course with Du Plessis aboard. The expectation of loose wet footing, and an early race on the programme, should aid his prospects in coping with the heavy going. From the family of NZ Champion 2 & 3YO and stallion Keeninsky (Stravinsky), his dam, Intelligentsia (Danzero), won three times between 1100m - 1400m in Australia, following a second on debut over 1200 metres on slow going.

4.38 p.m. R9 1 Esprit De Corps (4 g Bel Esprit - Vercors) - Troy Harris; worked home solidly from last, after over-racing through the mid-stages, to finish third a fortnight ago in the Rating 65 1400 metres on Heavy10 at Rotorua. Four starts this time in have rendered two seconds and two thirds and his form on heavy going is hard to fault. In July last year he won his Maiden by nearly four lengths on Heavy10 over 1400 metres at Te Aroha, and seems ready to strike at any tick of the clock.