Te Akau Trans Tasman Saturday Preview

Te Akau Racing has five horses entered on Saturday 21 June: Tauranga and Riccarton in New Zealand, and one horse entered at Flemington in Melbourne.?

Tauranga:

Weather: overcast, track: Heavy10, rail: out 5 metres. No rain forecast. 

1:50 p.m. R4 2 Baronet (5 g Contributer – Alpha Dame) – Rihaan Goyaram (a2); he was unable to quicken out of midfield in the $35,000 Rating 75 1200 metres on 31 May at Te Rapa, and contests the corresponding event. All of his three wins over 1200 metres have come on heavy ground, he is a previous course winner that has also placed in three starts. With weight relief to 55.5kg, he (main picture) has the ability to prove competitive here. Fixed odds: $10.00 & $2.50.?

Riccarton:

Weather: fine, track: Heavy10, rail: out 9 metres to 1000m, remainder out 11 metres. Showers forecast. 

11:50 a.m. R1 3 Can’t Kach Me (5 m Tavistock – Kachina) – Hayley Hassman (a3); she did well when finishing second on testing Heavy10 conditions in the Rating 65 1600 metres on 23 May at Wingatui, with Hassman aboard, and contests the $35,000 Rating 65 & Jumpers 2000 metres. She has been a winner on soft and heavy footing to 2200 metres, has the advantage of weight relief to 55kg, is a course winner on a Heavy10 track, and she rates a top three chance. Fixed odds: $2.60 & $1.35.

11:50 a.m. R1 8 Our Milly Bee (5 m Merchant Navy – Rina Bettina) – Yogesh Atchamah (a2); the second runner for the stable in the first race of the day, she made up ground solidly from back in the field when second in the Rating 65 1600 metres on 10 June at Timaru. She has placed four times from six starts on heavy ground, is a winner to 2200 metres, also enjoys weight relief (to 55.5kg), and brings good recent form to be considered a top three prospect.  Fixed odds: $5.00 & $1.85.

12:54 p.m. R3 1 Cool Aza Rene (2 f Cool Aza Beel – Irene) – Hayley Hassman (a3); she recorded her third win this season when resuming in the 2YO 820 metres on 1 June at Wingatui, and contests the $35,000 2YO 1000 metres. She is clearly the highest rated (69) juvenile in the field, the apprentice claim drops her to 54kg, she’s won three from four starts, and warrants favouritism. Fixed odds: $1.55 & $1.05.

2:03 p.m. R5 15 Bello Mio (5 g Deep Field – Bella Francesca) – Hayley Hassman (a3); he was unable to quicken near the rail on testing Heavy10 conditions in the Rating 75 1200 metres on 23 May at Wingatui, also with Hassman aboard, and contests the $35,000 Rating 75 1200 metres. He finished strongly for second here on a Heavy10 track the start prior in a Rating 75 1000 metres, and only carries 52.5kg thanks to the Te Akau apprentice engagement. A previous winner on a Heavy10 track, he will be looking to bounce back to the form we know he is capable of. Fixed odds: $8.00 & $2.80. 

Flemington:

Weather: fine, track: Good4, rail: out 11 metres. No rain forecast. 

4:10 p.m. (NZ time) R5 5 Bright Stripes (4 g Starspangledbanner – Dutch Rose) – Jaylah Kennedy (a2); he did well at his Australian debut for the stable in a Benchmark 84 1400m at Sandown, finishing solidly for sixth, after being three-wide near the tail of the field from his from wide draw (12).  Contesting the A$80,000 Benchmark 84 1420 metres, he was a winner as two and three-year-old in the UK, including the Listed Tetrach Stakes over the mile. He has apprentice weight relief to 58kg, and if he can navigate the sticky draw (9) he has first four claims. NZ TAB fixed odds: $16.00 & $4.50.