Te Akau Shark Returns

The Informant reports:

Exciting galloper Te Akau Shark will make a welcome return to action in Saturday's $30,000 Hastings - Heart Of Hawke's Bay 1200.

The son of Rip Van Winkle began his career with two impressive victories last spring, then ran a fast-finishing fourth behind stablemates Embellish and Age Of Fire in the Gr. 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas in November.

He hasn't raced since then, but has won trials at Te Rapa and Te Teko in recent months. In the latter, he beat the Group One galloper Jon Snow.

Te Akau Shark resumes in Rating 82 grade on Saturday, lining up against stakes performers Gift Of Power, Mighty Solomon, Indecision and Flamingo and the exciting Mihaul.

“We're really looking forward to having him back at the races this weekend,” trainer Jamie Richards told www.theinformant.co.nz. “He's trialled well and worked well.

“It's a pretty slick field on Saturday, but he'll get back and we'll hope to see him running on well at the end. He could be one to watch this season.

“We've got no specific plans with him at the moment, we'll just work our way through the grades. But if he happened to pick up a win in his first couple of starts, the open 1400-metre race on the last day of the carnival could be an option.”

That event is the $70,000 Gr. 3 Spring Sprint, which will be run on 6 October 6.

Richards is also double-handed in Saturday's Group One feature, the $200,000 Tarzino Trophy. Melody Belle is dominating attention following her superb lead-up win in the Gr. 2 Foxbridge Plate, but stablemate Our Abbadean is also a multiple black-type performer.

The daughter of Lookin At Lucky won the Gr. 2 Awapuni Gold Cup and Travis Stakes last season, and in between times she was second under a big weight in the Listed Hawke's Bay Cup.

Our Abbadean was unplaced in a star-studded trial at Taupo last week.

“Her build-up has been only okay, but she's never been a horse who has trialled particularly well,” Richards said. “I was pleased with her work alongside Melody Belle this (yesterday) morning.

“She's a stayer resuming, a dual Group Two winner over 2000 metres, so we'll have to wait and see what she can do over 1400 metres at weight-for-age. But I think, by the time the last day rolls around, she can be a good chance over the 2040 metres of the Livamol.”