Te Akau Midweek Trans Tasman Preview

Te Akau Racing has four horses entered on Wednesday 10 September at Cambridge (poly-track) in New Zealand, one horse entered at Sandown, Melbourne.

Cambridge: 

Weather: fine, track: poly-track, rail: true. 15mls rain forecast Wednesday.

1:17 p.m. R2 2 Brazen Affair (4 m Brazen Beau – Southern Romance) – Opie Bosson; she comfortably won the Rating 66 970 metres here on 29 August, also with Bosson aboard, and contests the $18,500 Rating 72 970 metres. She has compiled an outstanding course/distance record: two wins, three seconds and a third from six starts, and rates a top three chance. Fixed odds: $3.00 & $1.25.

2:27 p.m. R4 1 Colonel Warden (4 g Russian Revolution – Moralto) – Sam McNab (a4); he quickened to win narrowly but well in the Rating 67 1300 metres here on 20 August, likewise ridden by Sam McNab, and is one of two stable runners contesting the $18,500 Rating 69 1300 metres. With two wins and a third from four starts on synthetic surfaces, plus weight relief to 56kg, he looks to have definite top three prospects from the handy gate (3). Fixed odds: $4.80 & $1.75.

2:27 p.m. R4 3 Knowledge Is Power (4 g Written Tycoon – Hectopascal) – Opie Bosson; he did a good job of leading before being claimed right on the line in the Rating 65 1200 metres on 24 August at Awapuni (poly-track), and also contests the Rating 69 1300 metres. He has raced solidly on synthetic surfaces previously and if he can secure a decent trip from his tricky draw (9), he can be right in the thick of things at the business end. Fixed odds: $3.30 & $1.45. 

4:49 p.m. R8 1 Beau Brummell (5 g Embellish – Fashion Forward) – Hayley Hassman (a3); he ran on in the Open Handicap 2200 metres on 6 August at Riccarton (poly-track) without threatening, and drops in grade for the $18,500 Rating 69 2000 metres. While his record may appear average, he has raced okay and has recorded a win on synthetic surfaces. So that, combined with weight relief to 57kg and an ideal draw (1) means he can be considered a top four chance. Fixed odds: $6.50 & $2.20.

Sandown:

Weather: overcast, track: Good4, rail: out 12 metres. No rain forecast.

6:05 p.m. (NZ) ~ 4:05 p.m. R6 15 Esternay (4 m All Too Hard – Sezanne) – Michael Dee; she circled widest and ran home tidily for third in a jump out on 25 August at Cranbourne, likewise with Dee aboard. Resuming in the A$50,000 Benchmark 66 1300 metres, she impressed winning consecutively over 1400 metres last season, at Cranbourne and Flemington, and spelled after big effort from last to finish fourth in the Listed Adelaide Guineas at Morphettville. She has the ability to get into the finish but she too will need plenty of good fortune from barrier 11. NZ TAB fixed odds: $16.00 & $4.00.

Main picture - Brazen Affair winning at Cambridge