Te Akau Horses Tackle Australian Group Ones

The Informant reports:

Te Akau trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards are expecting better performances from Embellish and Melody Belle on Saturday when they step up to Group One level in Melbourne and Sydney respectively.

This season's New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Embellish will tackle the A$1 million Australian Guineas at Flemington, having run sixth on his Australian debut in the Gr. 3 C S Hayes Stakes.  The Savabeel colt will be out to expunge memories of three years ago, when Te Akau's multiple Group One winner Xtravagant was well backed in the Australian Guineas but could finish only eighth.

Meanwhile in Sydney, last season's champion two-year-old Melody Belle will step up to 1400 metres for the Gr. 1 Surround Stakes. She was making up late ground when fifth in the Gr. 2 Light Fingers Stakes two weeks ago.

“It's probably fair to say that both horses need to improve on those performances from a couple of weeks ago, but we're hopeful that they can do that,” Richards told The Informant.

“We were very pleased with how Embellish worked this morning. He looks sharp. It's just a matter of keeping some freshness in his legs - he raced a little one-paced the other day. Going up to 1600 metres should suit him.

“Melody Belle looked really good this morning in Sydney. Katelyn Mallyon worked her and was very pleased with how she felt. She galloped on the course proper, which was quite rain-affected, and she went strongly to the line. Stepping up in distance should help her.”

Melody Belle will be ridden by top Sydney jockey Hugh Bowman, while Te Akau's number-one rider Opie Bosson will continue his association with Embellish in Melbourne.

“I thought his (C S Hayes Stakes) run was just okay,” Bosson told AAP this week. “The 1400 metres was probably just a little bit short for him. He was off the metal for most of the race and he couldn't really sprint with them and just kept grinding away.  But he's certainly classy enough. He's been pretty impressive every run he's been in so far this campaign, bar for his last start, and he's up there with some of the better three-year-olds that I've ridden. I'm sure he'll be hitting the line strong.”

Embellish is currently rated a $21 Guineas chance, with the C S Hayes Stakes first and second placegetters Cliff's Edge and Grunt topping the market at $4.50 and $5.50 respectively.