Te Akau Te Rapa Midweek Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has six horses racing on Wednesday 3 February at Te Rapa.

Weather: fine, track: Dead4, rail: out 10 metres. No rain forecast.

1.00 p.m. R1 1 Markus Aurelius (4 g Ghibellines - Evancho) - Joe Kamaruddin (a4); freshened after jogging home to score to impressively in the Rating 74 1600 metres on NZ Cup Day at Riccarton. He made up plenty to grab third on the line when trialling on 12 January at Matamata, and with weight relief to 55.5kg rates a top three chance in the $11,000 Rating 74 1400 metres.

2.10 p.m. R3 3 Rip Van Gogh  (3 g Rip Van Winkle - On the Move) - Opie Bosson; was notable finishing third to subsequent winner Maria Farina (Contributer) when resuming in the Maiden 1050 metres on 23 December at Matamata, before working wide on pace in the Maiden 1200 metres on 14 January at Wanganui. With luck from barrier 11 in the $10,000 Maiden 1200 metres he can show improvement.

2.45 p.m. R4 4 Shezathinka (5 m So You Think - Headsup) - Opie Bosson; produced a notable fresh-up effort for fifth to stable-mate Lilikoi (Charm Spirit) in the Rating 74 1400 metres on 28 December at Rotorua, and solid when third here in the Rating 74 1600 metres on 20 January. A five-length winner over 2200 metres, second in the Lowland Stakes (Gr. 2, 2100m) at three, she rates a top three chance in the $20,000 Open 2100 metres.

3.20 p.m. R5 4 Maasir (3 g Proisir - Maakel) - Opie Bosson; finished second to subsequent Desert Gold Stakes (Gr. 3, 1600m) winner Force of Will (Power) when resuming in the Maiden 3YO 1400 metres on 2 January at Tauranga, and dominant winning the Maiden 3YO 1600 metres here on 20 January. Racing well, he gets his chance up in trip for the $10,000 Rating 65 2100 metres.

3.55 p.m. R6 2 Enrichment  (4 g Rock ‘N' Pop - Enhance) - Opie Bosson; was only a length from the winner finishing fifth against a solid field in the Rating 65 1600 metres on 14 January at Wanganui, and back a notch in the $10,000 Rating 65 1400 metres. He rates a top four chance if appreciative of the course at his first attempt.

3.55 p.m. R6 8 Wishing Well (3 f Charm Spirit - Starwish) - Danielle Johnson; did well off the trail for second to Frontman (Makfi) in the Maiden 3YO 1400 metres on 28 December at Rotorua, and looked the winner a long way out in the Maiden 3YO 1340 metres on 14 January at Wanganui. She brings the right form to rate a top three chance in the $10,000 Rating 65 1400 metres.