Te Akau Trans Tasman Friday Preview

Te Akau Racing has one horse entered on Friday 29 May at Tauranga, New Zealand. au Racing has three horses entered on Friday 29 May at Bendigo (Victoria) and Pakenham (Melbourne).  

Tauranga: 

Weather: fine, track: Soft5, rail: out 3.5 metres. No rain forecast. 

3:08 p.m. R6 11 Viva Glam (4 m Savabeel – Style By Design) – Hayley Hassman (a2); she ran on without threatening in the Rating 65 1400 metres on 9 May at Rotorua, and drops in grade for the $17,000 Rating 60 1200 metres. She has been both course/distance placed on soft ground, and has the benefit of the apprentice weight relief to 56kg. The blinkers are on, and she is ideally drawn (3) to race well and bounce back. Fixed odds: $9.00 & $3.10. 

Bendigo:

Weather: overcast, track: Soft5, rail: out 9 metres. No rain forecast. 

4:00 p.m. (NZ) - 2:00 p.m. (Vic) R3 9 Jezebel Jenni (3 f Cool Aza Beel – Legal Girl) – Jett Stanley; she rallied gamely for fourth after racing three back on the outer when resuming in the Maiden Fillies & Mares 1400 metres on 15 May at Pakenham, also with Stanley aboard. Contesting the A$32,000 Maiden 1500 metres, she is by Te Akau bought and trained Champion Two-Year-Old Cool Aza Beel (Savabeel), her dam Legal Girl (Star Witness) won twice to 1600 metres in Australia, and with a handy gate (2) she is well placed to deliver a result here. 

5:30 p.m. (NZ) - 3:30 p.m. (Vic) R6 3 Noble Steed (5 g Zed – Test Of Honour) – Jett Stanley; he made some headway from last on Heavy10 footing which wasn’t to his liking in the Benchmark 66 2000 metres on 6 May at Warrnambool, and contests the $27,000 0 – 62 Handicap 2200 metres. He won over 1860 metres when resuming in March, won his Maiden over 2000 metres, and has the right draw (2) to prove competitive. 

Pakenham:

Weather: cloudy, track: Soft7, rail: out 6 metres. No rain forecast. 

7:15 p.m. (NZ) - 5:15 p.m. (Vic) R2 5 Opunake (2 g Nicconi – Alana’s Party) – Thomas Stockdale; he found plenty after being shadowed in front to win a trial on 14 May at Caulfield, and debuts in the A$45,000 Maiden 2YO 1100 metres. He is the half-brother to Te Akau purchased and trained dual Group Two, Group Three, and Listed winner Bellatrix Star (Star Witness), along with impressive debut winning half-brother Royal Rendezvous (Royal Meeting). While it is tough to line-up his credentials in an open field, he’s landed a positive gate (2) which should enable him to race well first-up. NZ TAB fixed odds: $8.50 & $2.70.