Te Akau North & South Saturday Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has five horses entered for the ten-race premier programme at Ellerslie, and one on the nine-race card at Riccarton, Saturday April 12.

Ellerslie:
As on Friday April 11 the conditions were: overcast and Dead4, rail true.

1:15pm R3 5 Equanimity (3 f More Than Ready - Insouciant) - Michael Coleman; over-raced, back and wide, in the 3YO 1300 metres won by Beauty's Beast (Guillotine) on March 22 at Tauranga, when resuming off 55-days and having won a trial. At her previous two starts, she had boomed home to score an impressive debut win on Jan. 6 in the Maiden 3YO 1230 metres at Rotorua, and followed with another top effort out of the trail here on Jan. 26 to win the Special Conditions 1400 metres. She is looking for a return to form from barrier six in the 3YO 1200 metres and has a tongue tie on.

2:25pm R5 8 Darci's Dream (2 f Darci Brahma - Sweet Dreams Baby) - Danielle Johnson; over-raced in the trail and only just went under after being tightened mid straight here on March 29 over 1300 metres. With a nose band on to help her settle and barrier three, she appears suited stepping up in distance in the Champagne Stakes (Listed, 1600m) and should combine well with this rider.

4:11pm R8 11 Abidewithme (4 m Redoute's Choice - Crimson) - Craig Grylls; comes in off 38-days and a trial outing to contest the Easter Handicap (Gr. 1, 1600m). Trainer Jason Bridgman has done a marvellous job managing this mare to six wins (two stakes wins) from only ten starts and her last start effort here for second to Chintz (Savabeel) in the Westbury Classic (Gr. 3, 1400m), when coming wide from tenth, is the right form to prove competitive again. With the likelihood of a midfield draw, after the ballots come out, she carries only 52kgs and boasts the right attributes to give this a good shake - one of three in the race for Te Akau. [No. 23 Urban Angel is fifth on the ballot and more likely in the race below]

4:11pm R8 14 Thy (5 m O'Reilly - Star Affair) - Reese Jones; backs up after finishing seventh in the NZ Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m) last Saturday at Te Aroha, where racing on the hindquarter of the leader in a very solidly run affair just took the finishing edge off her. But, she had worked home stylishly under a hold for second to Miss Foxwood (Fastnet Rock) in a trial over 1200 metres leading in and ridden off the pace she has the quality to produce an improved performance.

4:44pm R9 4 Urban Angel (5 m Savabeel - Tutuland) - Leith Innes; resumed off 101-days to boom home for third after getting clear late in the Benchmark 85 1300 metres at Tauranga, and back in grade here to contest the Benchmark 75 1600 metres should make her very competitive. Unlucky at times not to have notched more victories, her wins have each been recorded at a mile. She has scored impressively on this course and shapes as an even stronger specimen now a five-year-old.

Riccarton:
As on Friday April 11 the conditions were: raining and Heavy10, rail out 7 metres.

3:11pm R6 4 Osmunda (3 f O'Reilly - Wyndam Special) - Jillian Morris; got the job done when circling from eighth she sprinted to win with a bit in hand on April 3 in the Benchmark 65 1600 metres at Otaki, and she now contests the NZB Warstep Stakes (Listed, 2000m) third up off a 70-day break. At her only encounter on heavy footing, in a trial last August at Te Teko, she worked home with vigour from last to finish fourth and ridden patiently off the pace from a wide draw she could pick off those that cannot handle it in the straight.