Te Akau Saturday Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has three horses entered for the nine-race programme on Saturday Dec. 28 at Ellerslie.

As on Friday Dec. 27 the conditions were: fine and Good3, rail out 1.5 metres from the 1000m to the 400m and the remainder true.

12:50pm R1 2 Bronte Lass (5 m Stravinsky - Little Dorritt) - Matt Cameron; put in a terrific sprint from beyond midfield for third to Sacred Star (Flying Spur) on premier day in the Benchmark 85 1600 metres at Te Rapa, in a performance befitting her impressive win prior on Nov. 12 in the Benchmark 85 1600 metres at Awapuni. Although having her first start on this course she won a trial here impressively before commencing at the races and appears nicely placed to force the issue from barrier one in the Benchmark 85 1600 metres.

2:00pm R3 7 Rockfast (2 c Fastnet Rock - Gypsy Princess) - Matt Cameron; makes his debut from barrier twelve in the Maiden 2YO 1200 metres, after displaying his readiness in a recent 800-metre trial at Te Aroha. Where, sensibly steadied rearward off a wide gate, he worked home in smart fashion over the concluding stages to finish third. A three-quarter brother to the highly touted recent winner Lifeline Express (Zabeel), his grand-dam, Filia Ardross (Ardross), was a Champion 3YO Filly in Germany. Although a lovely three-year-old type in the making, he has a certain amount of precocity about him but will require plenty of luck from a wide gate.

2:35pm R4 4 Alchemy's Flight (3 f Darci Brahma - Eloa) - Matt Cameron; showed fleet of foot to lead and good stretch to get home nicely in a trial on Dec. 10 at Cambridge, and seems in good fettle to resume from an 80-day break in the Benchmark 65 1200 metres. With a win and a second from her two starts to date, she brings the right form to prove very competitive fresh-up.