Te Akau Te Rapa Saturday Preview

Te Akau Racing has four horses entered on Saturday 5 July at Te Rapa. 

Te Rapa: 

Weather: overcast, track: Heavy10, rail: out 5 metres. 15mls rain forecast Friday and 13mls Saturday. 

11:40 a.m. R1 7 Fierce Flight (6 g Flying Artie – First Bloom) – Jay Kozaczek (a1); he fought well for fourth in the Open Handicap 2100 metres on 7 June at Ellerslie, has since had a hurdle trial at Cambridge, and makes his jumping debut in the $20,000 Maiden Hurdle (2800m). A stakes’ winner , he has also twice been Group Three placed, among his six career wins to 2200 metres, and he will be competitive if he jumps well, remembering it is his first race day attempt (main picture). Fixed odds: $3.70 & $1.60.

11:40 a.m. R1 13 Hayate (6 m Maurice – Vamoose) – Joshua Parker (a1); the second stable runner in the maiden hurdle, she ranged to level early in the straight and fought well for fourth when making her jumps’ debut in the $20,000 Maiden Hurdle (2800m) here on 14 June. Given that performance, she again can rightly have first four claims. Fixed odds: $4.40 & $1.75.

12:46 p.m. R3 7 Viva Glam (3 f Savabeel – Style By Design) – George Rooke; she raced clear on Heavy9 footing to win the Maiden 3YO 1200 metres on 14 May but found the Heavy10 going more testing in the Rating 65 1200 metres on 15 June, both at Matamata. She finished boldly for fourth here before winning, and while she meets a few proven heavy track three-year-olds in the $35,000 3YO 1200 metres, she does possess the capability to be in the finish if she cops the conditions. Fixed odds: $14.00 & $2.60. 

2:02 p.m. R5 1 Malborough Bay (5 g Darci Brahma – Spin ‘N Grin) – Hayley Hassman (a3); he did very well to finish a close second after racing on pace in the $35,000 Rating 75 1400 metres here on 14 June, and contests the corresponding event. He has finished third in a hurdle trial at Cambridge since then and drops to 57kg courtesy of his apprentice rider. He’s notched up four career wins to 1400 metres, is a course/distance winner, and can find himself right in the thigh of things at the business end. Fixed odds: $4.20 & $1.65.