Te Akau's Weekend Abroad

Te Akau New Zealand has two horses competing abroad over the weekend with a runner on Saturday at Eagle Farm, and one on Sunday at Murwillumbah.

Eagle Farm, Brisbane:
As on Friday June 20 the conditions were: fine and Good3, rail out 5 metres.

3:40pm (5:40pm NZ time) R7 15 Costa Viva (3 f Encosta De Lago - Vivacious Spirit) - Vinnie Colgan; finished fourth in the Gold Coast Guineas (Gr. 3, 1200m) on May 3 and more recently closed from the rear off a wide run to end up only two lengths from the winner in the Queensland Guineas (Gr. 2, 1400m) here on May 31. Having drawn wide on each occasion, she has again had no luck with barrier thirteen in the weight-for-age Tattersalls Tiara (Gr. 1, 1400m) for fillies and mares. Assistant trainer Pam Gerard said: “She is absolutely jumping out of her skin. She had been pretty good going into each of her last two runs, but she's now perky, cheeky and I can't give her enough work - she's on the steel and loving it. I was pretty excited until the draws came out, but they've had four mils of rain and although that doesn't sound much, they say at Eagle Farm that it's like a foot, so it could help being off the rail. She knows what she's doing, quite obnoxious and big and strong. With the way she is feeling, I'd say she could ping the gates and with a bit of luck be able to slot into a positive position. She's on her toes and we couldn't ask for her to be in better shape”. Costa Viva is currently $26 & $7.50 in the Bet365 market.

http://www.bet365.com/home/FlashGen4/WebConsoleApp.asp?&cb=10880516243

Murwillumbah, NSW:
As on Friday June 20 the conditions were: overcast and Good3, rail true.

3:57pm (5:57pm NZ time) R7 4 Precious Time (6 m Stravinsky - Ana Zeel) - Vinnie Colgan; finished fifth with more to offer on May 15 in the Class 4 1800 metres on slow ground at the Gold Coast, and rounded off solidly, without being able to quicken into the finish from the rear, on May 31 in the Benchmark 90 1800 metres at Eagle Farm. Drawn nicely in barrier five she now contests the Murwillumbah Cup over 2020 metres. “She just needs to be put in the race and given a chance,” said Gerard. “With blinkers on she should be able to settle just in behind the pace and she has been working huge. It's a tight track and you basically have to be in front on the corner to be a good chance. The locals tell me, ‘you have to be right there'.

The race will most likely be televised on TAB TV Channel 62.