Te Akau Saturday Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has three horses entered for the nine race premier programme on Saturday April 2 at Awapuni.

As on Friday April 1 the conditions were: fine and Dead5, rail true. 10mls rain forecast race day.

3.48 p.m. R6 1 Heroic Valour (2 c Fastnet Rock - Myrrh) - Jonathan Riddell; staged a terrific performance to win the $200,000 Sistema Diamond Stakes (Gr. 1, 1200m) on Good3 footing at Ellerslie, with this rider aboard, and showed in his work on Tuesday to be on target for the $225,000 Ford Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m). Unbeaten in three starts and the only Group One winning two-year-old colt by Fastnet Rock (Danehill), he has drawn handily in barrier two and should acquit himself very well again despite being untested on ground worse than Dead4. He is the current $3.20 & $1.50 fixed odds favourite.

3.48 p.m. R6 10 Sassy ‘N' Smart (2 f Smart Missile - Panorama Ridge) - Matt Cameron; came from the rear and after being checked early in the straight still broke 34 seconds (33.9 last 600m) when finishing sixth to Heroic Valour with a somewhat brilliant performance in the Diamond Stakes. Already shortened in the market to $5.50 (equal second favourite), she drew wide last time and should receive a kinder trip from barrier five. Nosed out in the $100,000 Matamata Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m), having won the $50,000 Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) in November at Riccarton, she has the class to threaten.

5.00 p.m. R8 5 Silverdale (6 g Castledale - Elianto) - Darryl Bradley; drops in class after contesting the weight-for-age $200,000 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (Gr. 1, 2000m) at Ellerslie, won by Volkstok'n'barrell (Tavistock), and takes his place from barrier two in the $100,000 Awapuni Gold Cup (Gr. 2, 2000m). With this rider aboard he was dominant winning the Bulls Country Cup (Open, 1500m) here on Dead6 in November, so cut in the track should hold no concerns.

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