Te Akau Rotorua/BOP Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has four horses racing on Sunday 16 September at Rotorua.

As on Saturday 15 September the conditions were: fine and Slow7, rail out 4 metres. Showers forecast race day morning.

3.38 p.m. R6 7 Duck Road (3 g Ekraar - Silver Buttons) - Samantha Collett; has performed well in each of his three trials; the two this prep included a strong win recently at Te Teko. A lovely type of horse, on debut in the $10,000 Maiden 1230 metres, he has the gate speed to utilize barrier one, pedigree to suit track conditions, and he should race well.

3.38 p.m. R6 8 Red Jakkal (3 g Jakkalberry - Red Alert) - Shafiq Rusof; also makes his debut in the $10,000 Maiden 1230 metres, drawn barrier four. He got home very well in tight quarters for third when trialling recently at Te Teko, and looks an ideal type to be finding the line strongly from off the pace.

4.13 p.m. R7 5 Icebomb (4 m Darci Brahma - Snowdonia) - Nik Bakar (a4); trialled very well on two occasions in August at Te Teko, and resumes in the $10,000 Rating 65 1230 metres. A talented filly, she gained due reward after finishing runner-up four times - often unluckily - with a stylish win in April at Tauranga, then finished second again in Rating 65 grade before spelling. Stakes placed at two in the Phoenix Park Classic (Gr. 3, 1200m), she has weight relief to 53kgs, finished second at her only course attempt, and should prove very competitive with the right trip from barrier six.

4.48 p.m. R8 11 Ocean Star (3 g Ocean Park - Star of Gibraltar) - Shafiq Rusof; debuts in the $10,000 Maiden 1400 metres, following two trials in August at Te Teko. He finished second most recently in a trial won stylishly by stable-mate Golden Age (Savabeel), and Red Jakkal (above) finished third. From a Danehill (Danzig) mare that has produced five individual winners of 15 races, including stakes winner and multiple Group Three placed Tukiyo (Haradasun) in Australia, he has an awkward draw (11) to contend with but 1400m first up appears ideal for him to contest the finish.