Te Akau NZ Taranaki Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has six horses entered for the eight-race programme on Thursday Dec. 5 at New Plymouth.

As on Wednesday Dec. 4 the conditions were: showery and Dead4, rail out 2 metres.

12:45pm R1 10 Jewels Gift (3 f Stravinsky - Jesmonds Gift) - Matt Cameron; travelled handy before finishing third on Nov. 2 in the Maiden 1300 metres on good ground at Awapuni. Prior to she led and fought hard for second to Telepathic (Mossman), narrowly beaten since at Ellerslie, when resuming on Oct. 7 over 1200 metres on good footing at Avondale. Drawn barrier eight in the Maiden 1200 metres, she should handle a bit of cut in the track and brings the right form to prove competitive.

1:20pm R2 3 Rapid Gain (4 g Flying Spur - Occasional Gain) - Mick Dee (a2); has been freshened-up to resume off a 108-day break from barrier three in the Benchmark 65 1200 metres. Following a fresh-up second on July 31 at Rotorua, he showed a good turn of foot when coming from eighth under rider Opie Bosson to beat a handy field, over 1300 metres on dead ground, in August at Taupo. Up in grade for the first time, he has what it takes to measure up.

3:40pm R6 4 Riverenza (4 m King's Chapel - Sea Rhythm) - Matt Cameron; resumes from a break of 238-days in the Benchmark 65 1600 metres having had the benefit of two trials. A winner over 1800 metres on good footing in January at Riccarton, and while destined to get over a trip she boasts the right attributes to run a race in this line-up.

4:15pm R7 2 Secret Whisper (4 g Align - Danewhisper) - Matt Cameron; made ground from a rearward position, in a solid form race, on Nov. 21 in the Benchmark 75 2000 metres at Matamata. Drawn barrier five in the corresponding race, he has shown to act with give in the ground and also trained on well in the interim - one of two in the race for Te Akau.

4:15pm R7 6 Sovereign Rose (6 m Pins - Pavan) - Kelly Myers; steps over ground for the second time in this campaign and was a winner at her only course/distance attempt. Ridden quietly from the outside barrier in a field on nine, she will look for an opportune drag into the race and while saturated footing may work against her the prospect of some give in the ground should be okay.

4:50pm R8 4 Longbeach (3 c Fastnet Rock - Betwixt) - Matt Cameron; settled nicely three back on the rail, under jockey Kelly Myers, and worked home strongly for second on Nov. 24 in the Maiden 3YO 1600 metres on Dead4 at Te Rapa. Looking for ground, he steps up to 1800 metres and coming out of strong form race is each of three starts he appears a strong chance to break through.

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