Te Akau Karaka Million Night Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has four horses racing at the Karaka Million meeting on Sunday evening, 29 January, at Ellerslie.

As on Saturday 28 January the conditions were: fine and Dead5, rail true. No rain forecast.

6.07 p.m. R3 3 Heroic Valour (3 c Fastnet Rock - Myrrh) - Opie Bosson; closed strongly for second when resuming here off 70 days in the 3YO 1500 metres and trained on in the right manner for the $250,000 Karaka 3YO Mile (Listed, 1600m). Third in the 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) and winner of the Diamond Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) here as a two-year-old, he drops four kilos to carry 56.5kgs, drawn perfectly in barrier two, and has the form to rate a strong each way chance. Fixed odds: $7.50 & $2.20.

6.41 p.m. R4 13 Foreigner (3 g Savabeel - Pins on Ice) - Opie Bosson; was without much room late in the piece when seventh in the same race as Heroic Valour here on 14 January and drops in class for the $50,000 Special Conditions 1600 metres. He had to be good when winning fresh-up to claim stable-mate Scarlet Princess (Redwood) in the Maiden 1400 metres on 27 December at Rotorua, with Bosson aboard, but requires luck from a wide draw. Fixed odds: $28.00 & $7.40.

7.16 p.m. R5 11 Melody Belle (2 f Commands - Meleka Belle) - Opie Bosson; caught plenty of backwash here on 14 January when finishing eighth to Felton Road (Pins) in the 2YO 1200 metres, following a game third to Gift of Power (Power) in the Wakefield Challenge Stakes (Gr. 2, 1100m) at Trentham. She has drawn barrier three, with blinkers on, in the $1,000,000 Karaka Million (Listed, 1200m), a race in which Felton Road (Pins) is favourite and Gift of Power equal third favourite. Her natural talent should see her run well, especially given an economical trip from the draw. Fixed odds: $35.00 & $8.00.

7.16 p.m. R5 15 Iffragal (2 f Iffraaj - Regal Thrills) - Rory Hutchings; recorded a notable effort for fifth to Felton Road here in the Maiden 2YO 1200 metres on 29 December, after working forward from a wide gate, having finished strongly for fourth on debut in the Wentwood Grange 2YO Premier 1100 metres at Te Rapa. She requires one scratching to make the field for the $1m race and ideally drawn in barrier six if able to gain a start. Fixed odds: $51.00 & $12.50.