Te Akau Matamata Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has three horses entered for the eight race programme on Wednesday 3 June at Matamata.

As on Tuesday 2 June the conditions were: cloudy and Heavy10, rail out 7 metres.

12.37 p.m. R2 5 Scandinavian (3 g Dylan Thomas - Blanche Amelia) - Cameron Lammas; finished seventh on pretty good footing when resuming in the Maiden 3YO 1400 metres at Ruakaka, and now contests the corresponding event on decidedly different footing. Going left-handed and having the nose band off are expected to aid his prospects. He recorded a recent trial win on Slow9 footing and there is evidence within the family of handling cut in the ground.

1.12 p.m. R3 5 Maestro (4 g Encosta De Lago - Miss Scarlatti) - Daniel Miller (a3); worked through the line solidly for fourth on May 7 in the Rating 65 1400 metres run in slick time (1:22.6) at Hastings, and now scheduled to contest the Rating 65 High-weight 1600 metres with Te Akau apprentice Daniel Miller claiming three kilos to carry 64.5kgs. There is some question of his ability to handle heavy footing and a decision regarding a start will be left to scratch time (7.30 a.m.) on Wednesday morning. In favour, his two starts on the home track registered a win and a second.

4.06 p.m. R8 14 Miss Chief (5 m Keeper - Dainty Lace) - Cameron Lammas; makes her debut in the Maiden 1400 metres. A half-sister to thirteen time winner Valley Chief (Colombia), she has been given plenty of time to mature and still learning the caper is treating the race as an educational outing.