Te Akau NZ Weekend Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has six horses racing at two venues on Saturday 13 February.

Te Rapa:

As on Friday 12 February the conditions were: fine and Dead4, rail out 4 metres. There is no rain forecast.

2.00 p.m. R3 5 Chadsdale (4 g Castledale - Geeiliani) - Matt Cameron; produced a creditable effort for fourth after being caught three wide near the pace on January 24 in the $50,000 Special Conditions 1400 metres at Ellerslie, and contests the $30,000 Rating 65 1400 metres from barrier seven. He resumed three starts ago with a solid win in the Maiden 1200 metres on the home track at Matamata, and brings the right form to rate a top four chance.

2.35 p.m. R4 2 Duchess Kate (3 f Savabeel - Royal Prize) - Matt Cameron; showed enormous fighting qualities to win the $70,000 Wellfield Desert Gold Stakes (Gr. 3, 1600m) on January 30 at Trentham, and steps up in distance, from barrier six, in the $100,000 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (Gr. 2, 2000m). Expected to appreciate the extra distance, her grand-dam, Eva Grace, finished second here to Bonecrusher in the weight-for-age 2000 metres at this meeting in 1986 and the TAB have her $4.40 second favourite.

4.22 p.m. R7 5 Astrid (4 m Pins - Astralita) - Zinjete Moki (a3); was a touch late getting clear when running a terrific race to dead-heat for second, a nose from the winner, on January 23 in the $40,000 Rating 75 1400 metres and contests the corresponding race for $30,000. From barrier seven, with weight relief to 55.5kgs, she has genuine qualities to rate an each way hope.

4.57 p.m. R8 14 Xtravagant (3 c Pentire - Axiom) - Matt Cameron; was given little respite in front and unsuited on Dead6 footing when finishing fourth on January 16 in the $225,000 Levin Classic (Gr. 1, 1600m) at Trentham, and now takes on older horses under weight-for-age conditions in the $200,000 NRM Sprint (Gr. 1, 1400m). Carrying 55.5kgs, from barrier seven, his gate speed should see him in or near the lead and the TAB have him a $2.70 fixed odds favourite to win the race.

5.35 p.m. R9 9 Arpeggio (4 m Tavistock - Macchiato) - Vinnie Colgan; staged a good performance when coming from sixth to finish third in a hotly run $25,000 Rating 85 1300 metres on January 30 at Matamata, with this rider aboard, and steps up to a mile in the $30,000 Rating 85 1600 metres. The tempo should suit and having won four of her eight starts she rates a strong each way chance in this field.

Awapuni:

As on Friday 11 February the conditions were: fine and Dead4, rail out 5 metres. There is no rain forecast.

2.54 p.m. R4 4 Chambord (5 g Zabeel - Miss Montjeu) - Rosie Myers; did a great job, second up off a long layoff, when coming from back in the field for fifth in a hotly run $30,000 Open 1200 metres on January 30 at Matamata, and steps up in distance for the $30,000 Open 1400 metres. A bit will depend on the placement of likely favourite Mabeel, also accepted for the $200,000 NRM Sprint (Gr. 1, 1400m) at Te Rapa, but either way he appears a strong chance in the small field.