Te Akau Hawera Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has two horse entered for the eight-race programme on Sunday Jan. 11 at Hawera.

As on Friday Nov. 9 the conditions were: fine and Good3, rail true.

2.05 p.m. R2 3 Unsurpassed (2 c Exceed and Excel - Alamantra) - Matt Cameron; has shown all the right attributes for a young horse in winning his two trials and now makes his debut in the Maiden 2YO 1200 metres. From an unraced mare by Elusive Quality, his grand-dam is the champion mare Champagne (Zabeel) who registered group one wins in the MacKinnon Stakes and Ansett Stakes and finished second in the Melbourne Cup, AJC Oaks, and Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Drawn barrier two in a small field of five, it appears he will start a short-priced favourite - one of two in the race for Te Akau.

2.05 p.m. R2 6 Enshrine (2 f Minstrel Court - Pinstinct) - Jonathon Parkes; makes her debut, following two tidy trial performances. She possesses natural precocity and strength, in keep with her winning siblings: The Looker (Handsome Ransom) and Enhance (Saperavi), also owned and bred by Karyn Fenton-Ellis. With only two race day performers amongst her rivals there is an element of the unknown, but the family does act well fresh.