Te Akau Rotorua Thursday Preview

Te Akau Racing has four horses entered on Thursday 3 March at Rotorua.

Weather: fine, track: Dead5, rail: out 4 metres 900m - winning post, remainder out 2 metres. No rain forecast.

12:26 p.m. R2 10 Marvelouz (2 f Almanzor - Miraculous Miss) - Sam Weatherley; kept winding up unpressured for fourth at the trials on 14 February at Te Rapa, and debuts in the $12,000 Maiden 2YO 1215 metres. Dam Miraculous Miss (Exceed and Excel) was a two-year-old winner and was stakes' placed in Australia, and has already produced two horses, Avisto (Tavistock) and Celtic Tiger (O'Reilly), to win four stakes' races between them - one of two in the event both on debut and both racing in the Cambridge Stud gold and black colours.

12:26 p.m. R2 14 Royalz (2 f Almanzor - Lady Royale) - Joe Kamaruddin (a1); was okay without really penetrating at the trials on 14 February at Te Rapa, and also debuts in the $12,000 Maiden 2YO 1215 metres. Dam Lady Royale (Captain Rio) was a beautiful filly that impressed winning over 1200m and 1400m, including the Matamata Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m).

1:02 p.m. R3 12 Sicilian Dream (3 f Dream Ahead - Taormina) - Sam Weatherley; finished strongly to win a trial on 14 February at Te Rapa, and debuts in the $12,000 Maiden 1215 metres. She has been good through the trials' stage and has drawn favourably - the ace. From Pencarrow Stud family, dam Taormina (Red Ransom) is related to five-time Group 1 winning stallion Darci Brahma (Danehill) and five-time stakes' winning stallion Burgundy (Redoute's Choice), both bought as yearlings by David Ellis.

4:34 p.m. R9 8 Soprano Supreme (4 m Contributer - Falsetto) - Joe Kamaruddin (a1); bolted in winning a Maiden Fillies & Mares 1600 metres on 12 January at Matamata, and made up plenty in a Rating 65 1600 metres on 9 February at Ruakaka. She rates a top three prospect in the $12,000 Rating 65 1950 metres.