Te Akau NZ Weekend Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has two horses racing at two venues on Saturday 10 September.

Ruakaka:

As on Friday 9 September the conditions were: fine and Dead4, rail true. No rain forecast.

4.03 p.m. R7 1 Heroic Valour (3 c Fastnet Rock - Myrrh) - Matt Cameron; resumes off 182 days in the $50,000 Tavistock Northland Breeders' Stakes (Listed, 1200m), on the back of two quiet trials. He staged a terrific performance to win the $200,000 Diamond Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) on Auckland Cup Day at Ellerslie, after winning the $50,000 Matamata Slipper (Listed, 1200m) at his previous start, and remained unbeaten in three starts as a two-year-old. Securing a good position from barrier seven is likely to prove imperative and he heads the fixed odds market ($2.70) in a strong field.

Flemington:

As on Friday 9 September the conditions were: cloudy and Good3, rail true. 30mls rain forecast Friday.

3.30 p.m. (NZT 5.30 p.m.) R6 2 Xtravagant (4 h Pentire - Axiom) - Damien Oliver; resumes from barrier seven in the A$215,000 Bobbie Lewis Quality (Gr. 2, 1200m), where he is firmly supported in the early market ($4.50) along with the top weight Under the Louvre (Excellent Art). He was somewhat extraordinary during his three-year-old season, winning five of his last seven starts, including a race record (1.33.5) by 8.5 lengths in the $400,000 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) and a brilliant win in the weight-for-age $200,000 NRM Sprint (Gr. 1, 1400m), to be crowned Champion Three-Year-Old. Class and manner go a long way when competing at the top end, especially in Australia, and he boasts all the right attributes.