Te Akau Saturday Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has four horses racing on Saturday 28 April: Te Rapa, and Hastings.

Te Rapa:

As on Friday 27 April the conditions were: cloudy and Dead5, rail out 6 metres. 3mls rain forecast Saturday afternoon.

2.53 p.m. R5 5 Our Abbadean (5 m Lookin At Lucky - Highland Lights) - Shafiq Rusof; did a magnificent job to win the Awapuni Gold Cup (Gr. 2, 2000m) on 31 March at Awapuni, and followed with a close second in the Hawkes Bay Cup (Listed, 2200m) a fortnight ago at Hastings, with Shafiq aboard. Drawn barrier five in the $100,000 Travis Stakes (Gr. 2, 2000m), a weight-for-age race for fillies and mares, she was earmarked to contest the event last year after winning impressively here over 2200 metres at her previous start, but spelled instead, and has the right credentials in every respect to rate an each way chance. Fixed odds: $5.00 & $1.80.

4.03 p.m. R7 9 Paulownia (3 f Fastnet Rock - Forest Native) - Michael McNab; won on debut, clocking the fastest final 600m (33.7), in the Maiden 1200 metres on 28 February at Pukekohe, before being denied by a nose in the Wellington Guineas (Gr. 2, 1400m) on 17 March at Trentham, a race won by Karaka Million 3YO Classic (Restricted Listed, 1600m) winner Scott Base (Dalghar), and went very close here a fortnight ago when third in the 3YO 1200 metres. With blinkers on, from barrier 11, in a very strong field for the $70,000 Inglis Sales Cambridge Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m), she too has the right credentials to threaten in a race where everything needs to pan out perfectly. Fixed odds: $4.80 & $1.90.

Hastings:

As on Friday 27 April the conditions were: fine and Dead5, rail out 4 metres. No rain forecast.

1.32 p.m. R3 12 Total Excess (2 g Delago Deluxe - Avail) - Lisa Allpress; makes his debut from barrier five in the $10,000 Maiden 2YO 1200 metres. A really nice horse, beautifully balanced, athletic, and very much in the mould of his sire Delago Deluxe (Encosta De Lago), an unbeaten Champion 2YO in South Africa. He has looked good in three trials without being extended, and appears capable of a bold first up performance.  Fixed odds: $3.90 & $1.60.

4.32 p.m. R8 2 Vinevale (5 m Flying Spur - Eden Valley) - Samantha Wynne; made ground stylishly into fourth when trialling on 17 April at Waipa, and resumes off 91 days in the $25,000 Rating 75 1400 metres. A talented winner of three races, she acts fresh, has finished second in each of two course attempts, drawn to receive an economical trip from barrier one and looks an each way chance. Fixed odds: $7.50 & $2.35.