Te Akau Babies Ready for Battle

The Informant reports on Te Akau's in form babies who contest black type races in the North and the South this Saturday ... the first in the North being the Listed Waikato Equine Centre

Te Akau trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards have two runners in the race - Gr. 2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes heroine Gold Fever, and last-start maiden winner Aquilo.

A half-sister to the previous season's Matamata Breeders' Stakes winner Gold Rush, Gold Fever is preparing to make her first start since her brave third placing after a severe early check in the Gr. 1 Sistema Stakes at Ellerslie in March.  She was purchased by David Ellis at the Gold Coast January Sale last year.

“We gave her a break after Ellerslie and since coming back in she's really thrived, so we figured she was worth considering for our Queensland team,” Autridge said earlier this week.

“She's a tough little thing, a natural two-year-old, so if she runs up to expectations on the weekend there's every chance she'll head across.”

Aquilo is a Snitzel half-brother to the Group One winner Marky Mark, and he was bought (by David Ellis) for $200,000 at Karaka. Eighth on debut at Trentham, he took a big step forward at his second start to beat Ottavio by a head at Rotorua. The rest of the field finished seven and a half lengths behind the first pair.

While in Christchurch, Te Akau's Cousteau will contest the Listed Berkley Champagne Stakes ... and The Informant reports ...

Another top hope is the Te Akau representative Cousteau (main picture), who has been competing successfully in a much bigger pool of two-year-olds. A colt by Exceed and Excel, Cousteau was tried over 1200 metres at Te Rapa in March and beaten a long head by Qiji Phoenix on a Good3 track. A third over 1200 at Matamata followed, and then visor blinkers and a tongue tie were applied for maiden two-year-old 1100 on a heavy track at Woodville on April 20. Soon in front, he was an easy winner in the hands of Jonathan Riddell. The gear and Riddell will be on again tomorrow.