Te Akau Weekend Preview

Te Akau New Zealand has one horse entered for the nine-race premier programme at Te Aroha, and three on the nine-race card at Hastings, Saturday April 5.

Te Aroha:
As on Friday April 4 the conditions were: fine and Dead5, rail true.

5:10pm R8 5 Thy (5 m O'Reilly - Star Affair) - Leith Innes; resumed from a break of 123-days when tracking home from last in the Westbury Classic (Gr. 3, 1400m), won by Chintz (Savabeel) at Ellerslie, and comes in off 31-days for the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 1, 1600m). In the interim, she travelled nicely on the bridle with blinkers on and worked home stylishly under a hold for second to Miss Foxwood (Fastnet Rock) in a trial over 1200 metres at Cambridge. Trainer Jason Bridgman has elected to leave the blinkers on for this assignment, given the manner of her trial performance, and she has shown to possess what it takes to prove competitive against her filly and mare rivals.

Hastings:
As on Friday April 4 the conditions were: fine and Dead4, rail out 4 metres.

1:57pm R3 9 Sovereign Rose (6 m Pins - Pavan) - Mick Dee (a1); trialled up in encouraging fashion when coming from a long way back for third to So Wotif (Iffraaj) over 1200 metres recently at Cambridge, and resumes off 99-days from barrier six in the Benchmark 75 1600 metres. There are pointers in both her history and pedigree to suggest she can run a cheeky race fresh.

4:16pm R7 6 La Adelita (3 f High Chaparral - Romantic Liaisons) - Mick Dee (a1); would have learnt plenty coming out of midfield to win untouched on debut, over 1400 metres on March 12 at Matamata. That was on the back of a very encouraging third in the Open Handicap 1200-metre trial on the same course a fortnight earlier. Given time since, she comes in off 24-days from barrier six in the Benchmark 65 1400 metres and the manner of her recent victory will see her at the sharp end of favouritism in this line up.

4:55pm R8 15 Speeding (3 f Volksraad - Rapida) - Mick Dee (a1); was given a freshen up since last racing on Feb. 26 in the Maiden 2100 metres at Te Rapa, and she returns to both the course and distance that saw her working home in tight quarters for second on debut. There appears nothing too frightening in the field and able to get a drag into proceedings from off the pace, she can round off as well as any over the 1400 metres.