Te Akau taking on Southern Alps Challenge
Leading stable Te Akau Racing will head to Riccarton on Saturday with a strong line-up and they are hoping to plunder a couple of the rich prizes up for grabs.
“It is a great day to have a big team in, especially when the money is up,” said Te Akau’s assistant trainer Hunter Durrant, who heads their Riccarton barn.
Early on the card, juveniles Never Too Much (NZ) (Rubick) and Enchantment (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) will be seeking to break through for their maiden wins when they contest the Listed Property Brokers Welcome Stakes (1000m) for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson.
Rubick gelding Never Too Much has run third in both of his starts to date, while Enchantment has placed in all three of her starts, including a runner-up result at Riccarton last start.
“Both have come down to the South Island in really good order,” Durrant said. “It was good for both of them to have a run down the chute at Riccarton before running in a stakes race.
“Never Too Much didn’t have the greatest of luck last start, but it was still really good to see him running a good race into third. He has a nice draw (4) tomorrow with Opie (Bosson) on, who will give him every chance, and I think he will run a really strong race.
“We thought Enchantment had won last start. She was really tough and she ran better than we expected. We expect something similar tomorrow. She may be little, but she is tough.”
The stable will also have a two-pronged attack in the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) and $350,000 TAB Southern Alps Challenge (1600m).
Three-year-old fillies Perlino (NZ) (Super Seth) and Aishiteru (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) head into the NZB Insurance stakes in winning form, with the former currently a $3.20 favourite with TAB bookmakers.
“I couldn’t be any happier with them both,” Durrant said. “Perlino did it tough last start, she was on-speed and wide but won quite easily in the end. It is definitely a tick having Opie on and I think she will be very hard to beat.”
Durrant believes stablemates Stonybreck (Tavistock) and Cognito (So You Think) will have their work cut out for them in the Southern Alps Challenge, but he is particularly pleased with last start placegetter Stonybreck ahead of the rich feature, for which he is the third elect at $8.50 behind joint favourites Sir Albert (NZ) (Savabeel) and Aladdins Jem (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) at $6.
“It is great to have a race like that down here with that stake money,” Durrant said. “Both boys probably do need to lift a touch to be really competitive, especially in a race like this, but it was great to see Stonybreck run a really good, genuine race last start. He wasn’t far off the winner.
“He has trained on well, his work on Tuesday was very good and he is still looking a picture in his coat. He gets in well in the weights, he is a couple of kilos off the top weight.”
Durrant is hoping Cool ‘N’ Fast (NZ) (Savabeel) can string together his third consecutive win in the south in the Happy Birthday Mary Molyneux (1400m), while he rates Cognoscenti (Castelvecchio) a strong contender in the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge (2000m).
“We think Cool ‘N’ Fast is thriving in the quieter environment down south, he has put together a couple of nice wins now,” Durrant said.
“The key with him is he is just a happy horse and it is showing in his racing.
“I really like Cognoscenti in the last, he is going really well and he is a horse with a bit of confidence, he always runs a good race. I don’t think there is a standout in that race, he has drawn wide (15), but he pings the gates and he will go forward and he will be in it for a while.”
Meanwhile, the stable will also be hunting stakes success at Otaki on Saturday where Savoir Faire (NZ) (Savabeel) is a $4.80 favourite to take out the Listed NZ POTY @ HB Spring Carnival Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m).
