Te Akau Saturday Trans Tasman Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has sixteen horses racing on Saturday 5 October: Hastings, Riccarton, Royal Randwick, Sydney, and Flemington, Melbourne.

Hastings:

Weather: fine, track: Dead6, rail: out 3 metres. No rain forecast until Saturday night.

12.30 p.m. R1 7 Mazzuro (5 g Rip Van Winkle - Mini Pearl) - Opie Bosson; contested a mile fresh-up at Ruakaka, and looking for an improved performance with blinkers on when stepping up in the $40,000 Rating 72 2200 metres. Fixed odds: $11.00 & $3.40.

2.48 p.m. R5 2 Aotea Lad (3 g Savabeel - Corsage) - Opie Bosson; never received much room when fourth fresh-up to race rival and favourite Catalyst (Darci Brahma) in the Northland Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m) on 14 September at Ruakaka, and contests the $100,000 Sacred Falls Hawkes Bay Guineas (Gr. 2, 1400m). Last season, he won the Wakefield Challenge Stakes (Gr. 2, 1100m) and finished second to stable-mate Probabeel in the $1m Karaka Million (Restricted Listed, 1200m). A long odds second favourite, he requires luck from barrier 11.Fixed odds: $11.00 & $2.30.

4.40 p.m. R8 10 Melody Belle (5 m Commands - Meleka Belle) - Opie Bosson; the reigning Horse of the Year (eight Group One wins) left no doubts when sprinting home to defend her Tarzino Trophy (Gr. 1, 1400m) here on 31 August and again in the Windsor Park Plate (Gr. 1, 1600m) on 21 September. Hot favourite for the $250,000 Livamol Classic (Gr. 1, 2040m), she is attempting to become the first horse to win the Hawkes Bay Triple Crown. Fixed odds: $1.25 & $1.05. 

Riccarton:

Weather: fine, track: Dead6, rail: out 7 metres

11.45 a.m. R1 9 Lethal (3 c Savabeel - Katie Lee) - Jason Laking; fought on for seventh in the Maiden 1200 metres here on 21 September, at his second-up run, and steps in distance for the $10,000 Maiden 1400 metres. He has breeding on his side - Katie Lee (Pins) was the first horse in history to win both the 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) and 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) on this course - and looking for an improved performance.

11.45 a.m. R1 11Xplosion  (3 f Showcasing - Xpress) - Ryan Elliot; fought hard for third when resuming in the Maiden 3YO 1250 metres on 30 August at Ashburton, and handled a stiffer assignment when fifth here on 21 September in the Canterbury Belle Stakes (Listed, 1200 metres). She shapes as an each way chance from barrier one in the $10,000 Maiden 1400 metres.

12.15 p.m. R2 1 Ready for This  (2 c More Than Ready - Costarosa) - Ryan Elliot; has won both his trials, including here on 21 September over 800 metres, and debuts in the $22,500 2YO 800 metres. Finishing strongly from off the pace on each occasion, he has the pedigree to act as a two-year-old and should go well in a field full of debutantes.

1.20 p.m. R4 2 Summer Monsoon (5 g Stratum - Princess Narine) - Ryan Elliot; produced a notable performance for fifth off a wide trip in the Rating 65 1200 metres here on 21 September, having done similar prior at Taupo, and contests the $22,500 Rating 65 1400 metres. Ideally drawn (4), he appears a top four chance.

1.55 p.m. R5 2 Golden Age (4 g Savabeel - La Belle Epoque) - Ryan Elliot; was unlucky not to break through during his first campaign and raced away to win by three lengths easing down when resuming here in the Maiden 1600 metres on 21 September. Up in grade and distance in the $22,500 Rating 65 2000 metres, he shapes to give this a decent shake despite drawing wide (12).

3.10 p.m. R7 9 Remington  (5 g Darci Brahma - Kudamm) - Ryan Elliot; remained rearward after being crowded and checked to last when resuming on 14 September in the Open 1200 metres at Ruakaka. He came of age last spring when winning three of his four starts at Riccarton, talented at best, and can bounce back with an improved performance in the $35,000 Open 1400 metres. Fixed odds: $6.00 & $2.20.

3.47 p.m. R8 5 Al Haram (7 g Sea the Stars - En Public) - Ryan Elliot; had been racing solidly before winning the Rating 72 2000 metres in August at Matamata, and did very well to finish third off a tough trip in the Ruakaka Cup (Open, 2200m) on 14 September. Ideally drawn (3) in the $35,000 Waimakariri Businesses North Canterbury Cup (Open, 2000m), he brings the right form to be competitive again. Fixed odds: $6.50 & $2.40.

4.20 p.m. R9 8 Quattro Katie (4 m Zoustar - Kakakakatie) - Jason Laking; placed three times from five starts here last spring, including a third in the Canterbury Belle Stakes (Listed, 1200m), she made it back-to-back wins - having won in March at Matamata - with a determined effort in the Rating 65 1000 metres here on 7 September, with Laking aboard. Up in grade and distance in the $25,000 Rating 72 1200 metres, she has the right attributes to measure up from barrier three. Fixed odds: $9.00 & $3.00.

4.20 p.m. R9 17 Folk Dress  (3 f Pierro - Gypsy Chimes) - Ryan Elliot; recorded back-to-back wins prior to a narrow defeat (fourth) in a very good field for the Waikato Equine Vet Centre 2YO Stakes (Listed, 1100m) in May at Te Rapa. Her trials were good in the North, before winning a further trial on 9 September at Ashburton, and she has the class to prove competitive fresh-up in the $25,000 Rating 72 1200 metres. Fixed odds: $4.60 & $1.90.

4.55 p.m. R10 12Miss Scandinavia  (5 m Smart Missile - Miss Helsinki) - Ryan Elliot; tried hard but found Heavy10 footing beyond her when resuming here in theRating 72 1200 metres on 7 September, and not far away when seventh here in the Rating 72 1400 metres on 21 September. Having won the course and also over a mile, she can prove a player in the $25,000 Rating 72 1600 metres. Fixed odds: $9.00 & $3.00.

Royal Randwick:

Weather: fine, track: Soft5, rail: out 3 metres. 3mls rain forecast Saturday.

5.05 p.m. (NZ time) R4 2 Probabeel  (3 f Savabeel - Far Fetched) - Kerrin McEvoy; the $1m Karaka Million (Restricted Listed, 1200m) winner kept finding the line when resuming here with a meritorious fourth in the Darley Furious Stakes (Gr. 2, 1200m), charged home within a lip of victory in the Darley Tea Rose Stakes (Gr. 2, 1400m), and contests the $500,000 Darley Flight Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m). Drawn the outside (6), she is equal favourite with Tea Rose winner Funstar (Adelaide). Fixed odds: $2.00 & $1.05 NZ TAB.

7.05 p.m. (NZ time) R7 4 Te Akau Shark  (5 g Rip Van Winkle - Bak Da Chief) - James McDonald; ran the fastest 600m (35.7) on the day when closing hard for second in the Foxbridge Plate (Gr. 2, 1200m) in August at Te Rapa, and cluttered before getting into second here on 7 September in the Tramway Stakes (Gr. 2, 1400m), with McDonald aboard. Drawn wide (15) in the $1m TAB Epsom Handicap, he drops in weight to 54.5kgs, handles give in the ground and strongly fancied to perform well. Fixed odds: $6.00 & $2.25 NZ TAB.

Flemington:

Weather: fine, track: Good4, rail: out 9 metres. No rain forecast.

8.05 p.m. (NZ time) R8 12 Te AkauCaliburn  (5 h Camelot - Enchanted Evening) - Damian Lane; closed strongly from last for a close fifth here over 2500 metres on 14 September, with Lane aboard, when making his Australasian debut. Expected to be fitter for it, he commands respect despite drawing wide (14) in the $500,000 Lexus Bart Cummings (Gr. 3, 2520m). Fixed odds: $15.00 & $4.00 NZ TAB.

Back