Weekend Here We Come

The Informant writes:

Champion jockey Matt Cameron has been lured by a book of up-and-comers at Ruakaka this Saturday ahead of the first Group One race of the season at Hastings.

Cameron had been swinging between the two venues until Donna Logan confirmed that Volkstok'n'barrell, a regular domestic mount last season, would begin his season in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield rather than the Makfi Challenge Stakes at Hastings.

“Once Volkstok'n'barrell was out of Hastings all the decent rides for the Makfi had gone, plus I've got some nice rides up at Ruakaka, so I've decided that's where I'm going,” Cameron told www.theinformant.co.nz at the Matamata track this morning.

One of those is the unbeaten Hasselhoof, who will be resuming from a brief let-up and will be a hot favourite to complete a hat-trick of home-track wins.

"It's hard to know just how good he is and I'm keen to stick with him," Cameron added. "Looking at my chances up there I should have a good day."

Cameron, who claimed his second consecutive jockeys' title in the just concluded season, will also be riding a number of promising runners for Te Akau Racing partners Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards. They include recent Te Teko trial winners Love Triangle and Interstellar and one-race winner Scrutinize.

Love Triangle, by Encosta de Lago from Eight Carat family member Love Diamonds, is raced by a Coolmore Stud-based partnership, while fellow debutante Interstellar is a half-sister by Shamoline Warrior to last season's New Zealand Oaks winner Savaria.

Scrutinize, a Savabeel colt from the dual Group One winner Legs, was an impressive winner of his only start at Matamata in the autumn.

Another member of the Te Akau team heading to Ruakaka is the Zabeel colt Amperage, who has been placed in both trials to date. Fellow three-year-old Xtravagant (pictured winning by seven lengths on debut at Hastings), a brother to He's Remarkable and the winner of his only start at Hastings in the autumn, is scheduled to return to the Bay on Saturday for his season opener and will be ridden by Hayden Tinsley.