Te Akau Ellerslie Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has three horses entered for the ten race premier programme on Saturday March 12 at Ellerslie.

As on race morning the conditions were: fine and Good3, rail out 2.5 metres. No rain forecast.

3.27 p.m. R6 3 Heroic Valour (2 c Fastnet Rock - Myrrh) - Jonathan Riddell; made it back-to-back wins when displaying plenty of natural ability and fight in the $50,000 Matamata Slipper (Listed, 1200m) on February 27 and having just his third start enters the big time to contest the $200,000 Sistema Diamond Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m). He galloped here with stable-mate and race rival Sassy ‘N' Smart (Smart Missile) on Tuesday, pleasing the race day rider in the process and although encountering the strongest juvenile field of the season, thus far, he has the right attributes to make his presence felt. The TAB currently has him at $10.00 & $3.10 in the fixed odds market.

3.27 p.m. R6 11 Sassy ‘N' Smart (2 f Smart Missile - Panorama Ridge) - Matt Cameron; almost made it a stakes race double for Te Akau on February 27 at Matamata, when circling from off the pace she was nosed out in the $100,000 Matamata Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m). It was an enormous run and confirmed her talent, fresh up after winning the $50,000 Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) in November at Riccarton. Like her stable-mate, above, to win or place at Group One level as a two-year-old is unprecedented and $6.00 & $2.20 fixed odds confirms the strength of her chances. 

4.42 p.m. R8 3 Silverdale (6 g Castledale - Elianto) - Michael Coleman; continued his good form when making ground from off the pace for fourth, under 60kgs, in the $50,000 Kaimai Stakes (Listed, 2000m) on February 27 at Matamata, and gets his first taste of weight-for-age racing in the $200,000 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m). While Volkstok'n'barrell (Tavistock) is clearly the one to beat, the fight for the minors appears wide open and he certainly appears liberally priced at $31.00 & $6.00.

Click on this link to hear Jamie Richards' thoughts on our runners, as broadcast yesterday ...

https://soundcloud.com/auckland-racing-club/jamie-richards

https://soundcloud.com/auckland-racing-club/jamie-richards

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