Te Akau Wanganui Thursday Preview

Te Akau Racing has five horses entered on Thursday 8 April at Wanganui.

Weather: fine, track: Dead5, rail: out 4 metres. Showers forecast race day.

11.39 a.m. R1 10 Irish Red (2 f Burgundy - Niamh Elizabeth) - Sam Weatherley; quickened into second when trialling on 23 March at Cambridge, and debuts in the $10,000 2YO 1200 metres. Solid through the trials stage, but requires luck from barrier 10. She is the first foal from winning Per Incanto mare Niamh Elizabeth, a half-sister to stakes' winner Thrive (Colombia), both trained by Te Akau.

12.12 p.m. R2 5 No Limits (3 g Savabeel - Make A Wish) - Johnathan Parkes; finished strongly between runners for third when trialling on 23 March at Cambridge, and resumes in the $10,000 Maiden 1200 metres. A brother to stable-mate I Wish I Win, recent Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr. 1, 1400m) runner-up to stable-mate On the Bubbles (Brazen Beau), he is ideally drawn (2) to rate a top three chance.

1.57 p.m. R5 2 Conquistador (3 g Savabeel - Suavito) - Johnathan Parkes; closed the margin into fourth when trialling on 16 March at Cambridge, and debuts in the $10,000 Maiden 1350 metres. By a six-time Champion Sire, from a dual Group One winner over 1400 metres, he has a pedigree that warrants respect despite drawing wide (12).

3.06 p.m. R7 2 Summer Monsoon (6 g Stratum - Princess Narine) - Johnathan Parkes; drops in class after finishing sixth off a wide run in the Rating 74 1400 metres on Auckland Cup Day (13 March) at Ellerslie, and contests the $11,000 Rating 74 1350 metres. He ran good sectionals for fourth in the Rating 74 1300 metres on 27 February at Otaki, and rates a top four chance from barrier five.

4.17 p.m. R9 5 Radegast (4 g Savabeel - Marveen) - Johnathan Parkes; was notable finishing fourth in the Rating 65 1400 metres on 25 February at Pukekohe, and second to stable-mate Shebringsmerubies (Sebring) in the Rating 65 1600 metres on 17 March at Matamata. He brings the right form to rate a top three chance in the $10,000 Rating 65 1600 metres.