Te Akau Pukekohe Midweek Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has nine horses racing on Wednesday 16 December at Pukekohe.

Weather: fine, track: Dead4, rail: out 7 metres. No rain forecast.

2.10 p.m. R2 6 Golden Age (5 g Savabeel - La Belle
Epoque) - Opie Bosson; fought on without threatening in the Rating 65 1600
metres on 20 November at New Plymouth, and steps up in the $15,000 Rating 65
2100 metres. Course/distance placed at his only attempt, he receives a chance
to show improvement despite drawing wide (15).

2.45 p.m. R3 1 Top Brass (5 g Epaulette - Highlight) -
Joe Kamaruddin (a4); recorded back-to-back wins for the second time when
proving too strong in the Rating 74 1200 metres on 25 November at Te Rapa, with
Kamaruddin aboard and running a smart last 600m (35.0). The winner of four from
seven, he remains in the same grade for the $11,000 Rating 74 1200 metres and
receives weight relief to 57kg, having carried 54kg and 55kg previously.

2.45 p.m. R3 4 Willpower (5 g Power - The Lady) - Opie
Bosson; finished seventh in a race that second placed stable-mate Vamos Bebe (I
Am Invincible) ran the fastest last 600m of the day (33.7) in the Rating 74
1200 metres on 28 November at Ellerslie. Contesting the corresponding event,
but dropping class, he is ideally drawn (3) to improve.

2.45 p.m. R3 6 Exaltation (4 m Not A Single Doubt -
Meleka Belle) - Danielle Johnson; rounded off okay for fifth on unsuitable
Slow9 going when trialling on 1 December at Te Aroha, and resumes in the
$11,000 Rating 74 1200 metres. A half-sister to stable-mate and dual Horse of
the Year Melody Belle (Commands), winner of 12 Group 1 races, she has impressed
winning two of four starts and could arrive strongly from off the pace.

3.20 p.m. R4 11 Holyhead (3 f Pierro - Irish Sea) -
Opie Bosson; led, travelled boldly on the bridle, to win untouched when
trialling on 8 December at Avondale, and debuts in the $10,000 NZB Insurance
Pearl Series Maiden Fillies & Mares 1200 metres. From the family of
talented Aussie sprinter and producer Hips Don't Lie (Stravinsky), she could
negate a wide draw (15) and perform admirably first-up.

3.55 p.m. R5 6 Seajetz (3 g Iffraaj - Bellazeel) -
Danielle Johnson; trialled very well, getting his head in front at the line on
1 December at Te Aroha, and debuts in the $10,000 Maiden 1200 metres. By a
high-quality stallion, his dam, Bellazeel (Zabeel), impressed winning over 2100
metres, while Group 1 winning grand-dam La Bella Dama (Desert Sun) has left six
individual winners of 30 races and over NZ$2.5m prize money. Destined to get up
in trip, but ideally placed to go well fresh.

4.30 p.m. R6 3 Radegast (4 g Savabeel - Marveen) -
Opie Bosson; worked through strongly to win a trial on 12 November at
Ellerslie, and ran a fast last 600m (34.5) getting home for third when resuming
in the Maiden 1215
metres on 2 December at Rotorua. Ideally drawn (3) in the $10,000 Maiden
1400 metres, he should go well again.

5.05 p.m. R7 4 Baby Shark (4 g Rip Van Winkle - Bak Da
Chief) - Opie Bosson; finished second in two trials on yielding ground since
racing in August at Taupo, and resumes in the $10,000 Maiden 1400 metres. A
brother to dual Group 1 winning stable-mate Te Akau Shark (Rip Van Winkle), he
is bred to go further but ideally drawn (4) to race well if appreciative of
conditions.

6.11 p.m. R9 12 Illusion of Paris (3 f Pure Champion -
Phantom of Paris) - Danielle Johnson; worked on pace and remained gallant in
good time (34.8, last 600m) finishing second in the Maiden 1560 metres on 2
December at Rotorua. She rates a top three chance with luck from an awkward
draw (9) in the $10,000 Maiden 1600 metres.

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