Te Akau Waipa Trials' Review

Te Akau trialled horses on Tuesday Oct. 14 at Te Awamutu.
The footing was rated Dead4, with the rail out ten metres.

Heat 2 Open 1150 metres (1 length, neck 1:10.09)
Flirty Gertey (4 m Thorn Park - Granma Gertey) - Matt Cameron (below); went a pleasing trial on beautiful ground. She worked into it from four lengths off the pace at the 600m and widest rounding the bend she ran home strongly under her own steam for third.

Heat 5 2YO 650 metres (1 length, ¾ lengths 36.8)
2 f Saperavi - A La Votre - Matt Cameron (below); settled back on the rail, cornered nicely and closed strongly near the inner for third, without a lot of racing room over the concluding stages.

Niamh Elizabeth (2 f Per Incanto - Trove) - Cameron Lammas (below); was caught wide off an outside gate and worked home nicely.

Heat 6 2YO 650 metres (3 ½ lengths, 1 length 36.1)
Portia (2 f Street Cry - Posavina) - Cameron Lammas; jumped away well from barrier one to settle third on the inner and picked up nicely once clear at the 200m to finish second.

2 g Saperavi - Aventura - Matt Cameron; began well before steadying off the pace to settle fifth and over the short trip was doing his best work after the line.

Heat 7 2YO 650 metres (3 lengths, 2 ½ lengths 35.5)
Windborne (2 f Darci Brahma - Sweet Dreams Baby) - Cameron Lammas (below); took a sit just off the pace, in an educational move and got home in hand for second in the fastest of the 650-metre heats.

Heat 8 2YO 650 metres (3/4 length, nk 36.2)
Love Actually (2 f Swiss Ace - Just Platonic) - Cameron Lammas (below); settled one off the pace in third and once clear in the straight she closed off strongly for second.

Xtravagant (2 c Pentire - Axiom) - Matt Cameron (main picture); began well from a wide gate but became a bit field shy on the outside of runners. Losing some ground when steadied to settled, he then tracked nicely around the home bend and ran on well.

Photo credit - Stacey Bridgman