Te Akau Pukekohe Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has five horses racing on Sunday 9 April at Pukekohe.

As on Saturday 8 April the conditions were: fine and Dead6, rail out 7 metres. No rain forecast.

2.10 p.m. R4 4 Esprit De Corps (4 g Bel Esprit - Vercors) - Danielle Johnson; dealt to rivals when winning his Maiden by nearly four lengths on Heavy10 last July at Te Aroha, and following three fitness trials he resumes off 276 days in the $10,000 Rating 65 1200 metres. An improver with racing, he appears capable, with give in the ground, of a bold fresh-up performance from barrier two.

2.10 p.m. R4 9 Play for Time (3 f Foxwedge - Procrastinate) - Opie Bosson; was resuming off 88 days when racing away by five lengths to win her Maiden over 1100 metres down south in January, and freshened after contesting the $50,000 Gore Guineas (Listed, 1335m). With Bosson aboard she kept up a solid gallop in front to win a recent trial over 1000 metres on 21 March at Matamata, and resumes off 78 days in the $10,000 Rating 65 1200 metres. A beautifully bred filly, she acts fresh and should give a very good account from barrier three.

3.20 p.m. R6 7 Foreigner (3 g Savabeel - Pins on Ice) - Michael McNab; resumed here off 52 days with a good effort for fourth in the $10,000 Rating 65 1400 metres on 22 March, without trialling, and should have derived plenty of improvement from the outing. Contesting the corresponding event, again with McNab aboard (fresh from his Group One win last Saturday aboard Melody Belle (Commands) in the $225,000 Sires' Produce Stakes), he beat race rival and last start course winning stable-mate Scarlet Princess (Redwood) over 1400 metres in December and rates a good each way chance.

3.20 p.m. R6 10 Scarlet Princess (3 f Redwood - Volks Princess) - Michael Coleman; broke through with a stylish win here on 22 March in the $10,000 Maiden 3YO 1200 metres and steps up in distance to contest the $10,000 Rating 65 1400 metres. Back on the same course, with a confidence building win under her belt, she has certainly shown enough ability in only five starts to be competitive in a higher grade and appears ideally placed to go well again.

3.20 p.m. R6 12 Smoke House Bay (4 m Eighth Wonder - Makesmewonder) - Opie Bosson; was held up from last on straightening before running home solidly for fifth here in the $10,000 Rating 65 1400 metres on 22 March, with Bosson aboard, in the same race as Foreigner, and contests the corresponding event from barrier five. Three of her four runs since joining the stable have been very good, while Heavy10 footing hindered the other, and she too looks a strong chance.