Te Akau New Year's Eve Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has five horses racing on Saturday 31 December at Stratford.

As on Friday 30 December the conditions were: fine and Good2, rail true. No rain forecast.

1.25 p.m. R3 4 Don'tblamethemusic (3 g Coats Choice - Blame the Music) - Dylan Turner; makes his debut in the Maiden 1200 metres. He displayed natural talent when trialling as a two-year-old and returned to the fray with two very good trials for second and first, respectively. With the gate speed to position handily from barrier nine, he appears ideally placed to produce a bold first up performance.

2.00 p.m. R4 3 Spritz (4 m Thorn Park - Spray) - Masa Tanaka; resumes off 169 days from barrier one in the Rating 65 1200 metres, after biding her time last and working home solidly in a trial won by stable-mate Xtravagant (Pentire) on 13 December at Te Aroha. She collected an $11,500 NZB Pearl Series Bonus in addition to the $12,000 stake when winning over a mile in June at Avondale, has been a consistent performer and looks in for a good campaign as a four-year-old mare.

2.00 p.m. R4 4 Gingernuts (3 g Iffraaj - Double Elle) - Matt Cameron; finished strongly for second on debut to impressive winning stable-mate Hall of Fame (Savabeel), a subsequent stakes winner, in the Maiden 2YO 1200 metres at Pukekohe, before pouncing on the leaders to win with his ears pricked second up at Hastings. Spelled, he resumes off 226 days from barrier four in the Maiden 1200 metres following a pleasing trial for second with Cameron aboard on 13 December at Te Aroha. The mixture of professionalism, determination, ability, and surrounding form should take him a long way in this race.

3.47 p.m. R7 1 Sebrose (6 g Sebring - Bramble Rose) - Alysha Collett; was eye-catching through the line, coming from last, when resuming off 209 days in the $30,000 Rating 85 1600 metres on 10 December at Te Rapa, and with benefits from the outing he steps up in distance for the $40,000 Stratford Cup (2000m). The winner of five races and $400,000 when trained by Mark Walker in Singapore, his high rating (91) sees him carry top weight (60kgs) but a strong finish should result following an economical trip from barrier two in what is invariably a hotly contested race.

4.22 p.m. R8 2 Hushed (5 g Don Eduardo - Danewhisper) - Jasmine Fawcett (a4); proved somewhat of a revelation through the intermediate staying ranks with four wins last season, and resumes off 191 days in the Rating 85 1480 metres. He went really well with this Te Akau apprentice aboard in a recent trial over 1200 metres at Te Aroha, finishing on terms with the winner after beginning smartly to co-lead on the inner and  has the racing fortitude to go well, under 54.5kgs, from barrier one.