Te Akau Group/Listed Te Rapa Trial

Te Akau trialled four horses at the Group/Listed trial staged by the Waikato Thoroughbred Racing Club prior to its race meeting at Te Rapa - Saturday 10 August -

Weather: fine, track: Heavy10, rail: out 12 metres. 

Heat 1 Open 1100 metres (1 ½ lengths, 2 ½ lengths 1:07.1)

Skew Wiff (5 m Savabeel – Starvoia) – Opie Bosson; last season's Group 1 Tarzino and Flemington Group 3 winner, preparing for her Hastings' title defence, settled three back on the outer, improved to fifth inside the 600m, and ran home well for fourth while unable to really quicken on the Heavy10 footing.

Campionessa (7 m Contributer – Bella Carolina) – Craig Grylls; last season's Group 1 XZabeel Classic winner, who went on to win the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes in Melbourne, went forward to secure a handy position, however she was unable to accelerate in the straight on Heavy10 going but it was a solid effort nonetheless.  

Quintessa (4 m Shamus Award – Chaquinta) – Wiremu Pinn; another of last season's Group 1 winners, who was also multiple times Group placed in Melbourne last campaign, was posted three wide beyond midfield, seven lengths off the leaders at the 600m, and remained back as another who did not appreciate the winter track.

Mehzebeen (5 m Almanzor  - Salkantay) – Samantha Spratt; a dour staying type, she settled midfield, was pushed up inside the 600m, but (sounding like a stuck record) she too was unable to quicken on the prevailing footing over the sprint distance. Being the staying mare that she is, she finished back in what was another step in building her fitness towards an important season ahead.

Main picture: Campionessa & Quintessa - credit Trish Dunnell