Te Akau TV - Weekend Preview

THE STAGE IS SET AT OUR HOME TRACK!

It’s another exciting weekend for Te Akau Racing, with black type front and centre as we head to our home track at Matamata Racecourse for one of the most important meetings of the summer!

This Matamata meeting has been a special stage for this stable - Te Akau has an unparalled record in the Group 2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes, having won the feature event ten times previously - past winners including Maven Belle, Captured By Love and last year, La Dorada. Those are the moments that stay with you - home track, big crowd, black type on the line!

Looking back over the past week, the winners have kept coming across New Zealand and Australia for our team! Recently in the North Island, Egyptian Queen delivered a stylish performance at Te Rapa while Arctic Jewel broke through impressively at Tauherenikau. At Tauranga, Uptown added her name to the recent honour roll with a deserved maiden success. While at Riccarton, it was a South Island double, with both Perlino and Insatiable winning for their owners in confident fashion.

Across the Tasman, Abrafo kept the Australian momentum rolling with a strong victory at Seymour - a word too for I Am Aria who at just her second start at Caulfield, recorded her second stakes' result! She lines up in the A$2 million Blue Diamond Stakes on 21 February.

From emerging three-year-olds to seasoned performers, from maidens to rating winners, the results continue to reflect the strength of the stable at every level.

While the spotlight shines brightly on Saturday, the action begins across Victoria on Friday and continues right through to Sunday, with trans-Tasman runners as the Tangerine Team looks to build momentum on all fronts.

Racing action kicks off on Friday at bet365 Park Kilmore in Victoria, where Prismatic and West Indies line up in the MC Labour BM56 Highweight over 2000 metres. Both experienced gallopers are preparing for a jumping campaign and will relish the staying test, with Prismatic drawing ideally in barrier two.

Later that evening at Cranbourne, Cinturato contests the Ladbrokes Hosted Pots Plate over 1400 metres. The hot favourite has drawn well and gets his opportunity in a competitive A$60,000 contest under lights.

Saturday’s attention firmly centres on Matamata, where feature racing headlines the programme.

The $150,000 Group 3 Fairview Matamata Slipper sees two exciting juveniles take their place, with Out Of The Blue and Kinnaird both lining up in what is always a key two-year-old contest at this time of year. With handy draws and strong preparations behind them, they represent the stable proudly in this important black type opportunity - a race that the stable has won a phenomenal 11 times previously!

In the $225,000 J Swap Contractors Matamata Breeders’ Stakes, Lara Antipova hunts more black type success over 1200 metres. A talented filly with quality and composure, she steps onto one of the day’s biggest stages.

The stable has a three-pronged attack in the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes over 1400 metres with Belle Cheval, Captured By Love and My Lips Are Sealed. Captured By Love returns to a meeting that has been kind to her before, while Belle Cheval continues to build on her already impressive record as she heads towards the NZB Kiwi, and My Lips Are Sealed adds further depth to a competitive field.

The staying test of the day comes in the $100,000 Listed Kaimai Stakes over 2000 metres, where What You Wish For defends his 2025 crown.

The Matamata programme concludes with a strong hand in the BM75 over a mile, where Altari, Savoir Faire and Zantabulous all step out, giving the stable multiple chances to finish the day on a high.

Across the Tasman on Saturday, Tolaga Bay contests the two-year-old maiden at Ballarat, while Jenni’s Meadow lines up at Flemington in the $150,000 Be Captivated Trophy over 2500 metres - a true staying test at headquarters.

Sunday sees the team represented at Waipukurau - Brazen Affair contests the BM75 over 1200 metres as we round out a full weekend of racing.

From black type at Matamata to strong representation across both sides of the Tasman, it’s another significant weekend for the Te Akau team.

Looking ahead next week will be a big day for the team at Caulfield with the Blue Diamond, and also last season's inaugural NZB Kiwi winner Damask Rose back in action.

Best of luck to all of our runners and connections this weekend! GO THE TANGERINE!