Te Akau Trans-Tasman Friday Preview

Te Akau Racing has one horse entered on Friday 7 March at Te Aroha, New Zealand and two horses entered at Ballarat, Victoria and one at Moonee Valley, Melbourne, Victoria.

Te Aroha:

Weather: fine, track: Good4, rail: out 6.5 metres. No rain forecast.

3:27 p.m. R6 6 Cognoscenti (3 g Castelvecchio – Irish Goodbye) – Samantha Spratt; he finished a distant fourth to subsequent smart winner Penman (who heads to the NZB Kiwi) in the 3YO 1400 metres on 7 February at Tauranga, and contests the $18,500 Rating 65 1600 metres. He is now back in Rating grade after contesting two three-year-old races, since winning over 1400 metres in December at Matamata, and is ideally drawn (5) to prove more competitive. Fixed odds: $5.00 & $1.85.   

Ballarat:

Weather: fine, track: Good4, rail: true. No rain forecast. 

4:00 p.m. (NZ) ~ 2:00 p.m. (Vic) R1 4 Signoretti (2 g Hello Youmzain – I Am Grande) – Luke Currie; he was held up behind runners when he had more to offer in a trial on 24 February at Cranbourne, has looked more than capable in trials and a jump out, and debuts in the A$27,000 Maiden 2YO 1200 metres. Likely to be ridden patiently from barrier nine, look for him finding the line encouragingly. 

7:00 p.m. (NZ time) R7 3 Prismatic (6 g Savabeel – Kaleidoscope) – Sage Duric (a4); he was good through the line for fifth when resuming in the Benchmark 64 1600 metres on 9 February at Bendigo, also with Duric aboard, and contests the A$27,000 Benchmark 64 2000 metres. He has weight relief to 58.5kg with the stable apprentice engagement, has placed in four of five starts over this distance, and should have derived benefit from first-up effort as he targets a jumping preparation ahead.

Moonee Valley:

Weather: fine, track: Good4, rail: out 5 metres. No rain forecast. 

9:15 p.m. (NZ) ~ 7:15 p.m. (Vic) R3 1 Stage ‘n’ Screen (3 f Ace High – Inthespotlight) – Logan Bates (a3); she looked good winning a jump out on 10 February and finishing second in a trial on 24 February, both at Cranbourne, and resumes in the A$60,000 Benchmark 64 Fillies & Mares 1200 metres. She asserted with a good turn of foot to win over 1200 metres on debut, did well off a wide trip finishing fourth in the Listed Amanda Elliott Stakes (1400m), and then spelled in November following the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m). With weight relief to 58.5kg, she has the ability to perform well when in a  fresh state, is back in class, and looks a top three prospect from barrier one. NZ TAB fixed odds: $3.00 & $1.35. 

Pictured - Cognoscenti