Te Akau NZ Weekend Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has two horses racing at two venues on Saturday 6 August - the stable's first runners for the new season.

Ruakaka:

As on Thursday August 4 the conditions were: cloudy and Dead6, rail out 4 metres. 1ml rain forecast.

3.41 p.m. R7 3 Opulent (5 m Keeper - Silk Slipper) - Jasmine Fawcett (a4); franked her form on slow ground with another tidy effort for second in the $22,500 Rating 75 1600 metres on July 16 at Te Rapa, following a much improved performance for third in the corresponding race on the same course a fortnight earlier. With an affinity for the sand based track, she claims to 55.5kg for the Te Akau apprentice and guaranteed an economical trip from barrier one in the $22,500 Rating 75 1600 metres.

Riccarton:

As on Thursday August 4 the conditions were: showery and Slow8, rail true. 3mls rain forecast.

1.38 p.m. R6 6 Brer (8 g China Cat - La Fox) - Aaron Kuru; jumped flawlessly before being claimed inside the final 100m in the $50,000 Hawkes Bay Steeplechase (4800m) on Slow9 at Hastings, with Kuru aboard, and should strike similar going for the $30,000 Koral Steeplechase (4250m). Having finished second in the $50,000 Waikato Steeplechase (4000m) and third in the $50,000 McGregor Grant Steeplechase (4150m), his premier jumps form is impeccable and equal second favourite ($5.50 & $1.95) in the fixed odds market reflects that. Both previous course attempts resulted in steeplechase wins, by healthy margins, and another top performance will peak him for the $75,000 Grand National Steeplechase (5600m) a week later.