Te Akau NZ Saturday Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has five horses racing at two venues on Saturday 19 December.

Te Rapa:

As on Friday 18 December the conditions were: fine and Dead4, rail out 2 metres.

3.27 p.m. R6 9 Bordeaux (4 g High Chaparral - Our Echezeaux) - Danielle Johnson; led them up and found a good kick to win over a mile when resuming at Hastings, and handled a rise in class to win the Rating 65 1800 metres on 3 December at New Plymouth. Up again in grade and distance for the $22,500 Rating 75 2100 metres, he meets better horses, in solid form, but has grown in confidence and harbours the ability to be competitive.

4.02 p.m. R7 2 Silverdale (6 g Castledale - Elianto) - Grant Cooksley; returned to winning form in the Bulls Country Cup (Open, 1500m) on Dead6 footing at Awapuni, and got home strongly for third, on similar going, in the $70,000 Eagle Technology Stakes (Gr. 3, 1600m) on 28 November 28 at Ellerslie. Drawn wide in the $30,000 Open 1600 metres, a decent drag into proceedings should see him quicken into the battle.

4.37 p.m. R8 16 Tavis Star (4 m Tavistock - Megapins) - Cameron Lammas; sustained a big finish from back in the field for second when resuming here on 7November in the Rating 65 1400 metres, and subsequently produced a top performance for third, off the front, over a mile at Ellerslie. Up in grade for the $22,500 Rating 75 1600 metres, she again meets her recent nemesis, and likely favourite, Our Daisy (Commands). Ridden patiently from a wide draw, she can rip home with the right passage into contention.

Awapuni:

As on Friday 18 December the conditions were: cloudy and Dead5, rail true.

2.33 p.m. R3 1 Scrutinize (3 c O'Reilly - Legs) - Chris Johnson; never got all favours when finishing seventh in the $100,000 James & Annie Sarten Memorial (Gr. 2, 1400m) at Te Rapa, and after being freshened, he resumes off 54 days in the $20,000 3YO 1400 metres. He staged a massive run from well back to finish second on 3 October in the $100,000 Sacred Falls Hawkes Bay Guineas (Gr. 2, 1400m) at Hastings, is unbeaten fresh up and certainly the one to beat.

3.08 p.m. R4 4 Smashing (4 m Pins - Ruud Van Slaats) - Chris Johnson; ran clear untouched to win impressively when resuming in the Rating 75 1000 metres on 25 November at Te Aroha, and although up 3kgs to carry 58kgs she remains in the same grade for the $25,000 Rating 75 1200 metres. She holds the 1200-metre record (1:09.3) at Rotorua, and can justify her likely favouritism from barrier one.