Te Akau Te Rapa Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has seven horses entered for the nine-race premier programme on Saturday April 26 at Te Rapa.

As on Friday April 25 the conditions were: fine and Dead6, rail true.

12:20pm R1 5 Atua (2 c Murtajill - Silent Smytzer) - Matt Cameron; makes his debut from barrier one in the 2YO 1200 metres. He has done everything right when finishing second and first, respectively, in his two trials and displays the attributes of a natural juvenile type. He has good evidence of precocity on his dam side, with his dam, Silent Smytzer, being by Rory's Jester, and his sire, Murtajill (Rock of Gibraltar) won twice as a two-year-old - one of two in the race for Te Akau.

12:20pm R1 9 Appellation (2 g Pentire - Tattinger) - Vinnie Colgan; has been gelded since having one start last October at Riccarton, and quickened up nicely from fifth to finish second in a recent trial over 800 metres at Cambridge. From the family of impressive winners Satinka (Stravinsky) and She Wishes (Kenfair), the dam of Rangirandoo (Pentire), he has shown enough ability to be competitive from barrier five.

2:05pm R4 8 Chambord (3 g Zabeel - Miss Montjeu) - Matt Cameron; resumes off 70-days from barrier seven in the Benchmark 75 1200 metres, having finished second to Bounding (Lonhro) in a preparatory trial over 950 metres at Cambridge. Never out of second gear when winning by five lengths over 1200 metres last September, he went on to be runner-up in the 2000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m), included two stakes placed performances and finished an unlucky sixth in the Levin Classic (Gr. 1, 1600m). His dam, Miss Montjeu (Montjeu), won over 1150 metres and sporting side winkers he has the athleticism to storm into the picture from off the pace.

2:41pm R5 7 Angelica Hall (3 f Guillotine - Greta Hall) - Matt Cameron; has been freshened since finishing second to Kawi (Savabeel) over 1400 metres and drops back in distance to contest the Cambridge Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m). Two starts ago she staged a mighty performance when closing in for second to Group One winner Bounding (Lonhro) in the Mr Tiz Trophy (Gr. 3, 1200m) on March 8 at Ellerslie. She has drawn wide in a hot field of three-year-old sprinters, but possesses the sheer talent at best to sit pat and get at them late - one of two in the race for Te Akau.

2:41pm R5 10 Equanimity (3 f More Than Ready - Insouciant) - Michael Coleman; bounced back to form when working through strongly over the concluding stages for second on April 12 in the 3YO 1200 metres at Ellerslie. Like her stable-mate above, she has also won twice from only four starts and having drawn a wide barrier will be looking for a nice drag into proceedings to mount a challenge.

4:23pm R8 4 Abidewithme (4 m Redoute's Choice - Crimson) - Matt Cameron; was checked at the start, and again mid-race, before making plenty of ground in the worst of the going to finish within two lengths of the winner in the Easter Handicap (Gr. 1, 1600m) on April 12 at Ellerslie. Already a dual stakes winner, with six wins from eleven starts, she typifies courage in her racing manner and providing the footing remains in reasonable condition she has what it takes to measure up to her female rivals from barrier four in the weight-for-age Travis Stakes (Gr. 2, 2000m). Her dam, Crimson (Zabeel), had a good affinity with the track, winning twice here and finishing second in the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (Gr. 2, 2000m) - one of two in the race for Te Akau.

4:23pm R8 6 Thy (5 m O'Reilly - Star Affair) - Vinnie Colgan; also received a chequered passage in the Easter Handicap (Gr. 1, 1600m) last time out, closing to within four lengths of the winner from well back in the field. Drawn barrier three, her condition and form in training at home has been solid over the past fortnight and despite a somewhat wayward form line on paper she has the quality to prove a factor.