Te Akau Trans Tasman Saturday Preview

Te Akau Racing has four horses entered on Saturday 5 September at Ellerslie, Auckland, and one horse entered at Sandown, Melbourne.

Ellerslie:

Weather: overcast, track: Soft5, rail: true. 3mls rain forecast Friday and no rain Saturday.

11:55 a.m. R1 7 Asturia (3 f Almanzor – Kay’s Legacy) – Michael McNab; she was clear in the straight and sustained a eye-catching, strong finish to grab a trial win on 4 August at Te Rapa, also with Michael McNab who stays aboard. Debuting in the $75,000 3YO 1400 metres, her is a family well known by Te Akau. She undoubtedly meets strong field for her first start and is destined for further, but she is ideally drawn (3) and displayed her readiness to race well with that trial win. Fixed odds: $5.50 & $1.75.

1:42 p.m. R4 11 With A Vengeance (3 g Exceed and Excel – Eleusa) – Craig Grylls; he began well from barrier one to lead, quickened to seize the advantage at the 200m and strode away for a tidy trial win on 25 August at Waipa, likewise with Craig Grylls aboard. Resuming in the $75,000 Rating 65 1100 metres, he was super was professional and quickened appreciably to comfortably win on debut over 1000 metres as two-year-old, and he rates a top three chance first-up from barrier five. Fixed odds: $3.40 & $1.60.

3:59 p.m. R8 3 Origin Of Love (4 m Snitzel – Re Edit) – Michael McNab; she settled off a solid pace, being 10 lengths off the leaders at the 600m, but held her ground well in the straight over an unsuitable sprint distance in a Group & Listed trial on 16 August at Taupo. Resuming in the $75,000 Rating 75 1300 metres, she had a terrific three-year-old season winning Group 3 War Decree Stakes (1600m) and Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1600m), in fact she has placed in Group races to 2000 metres. Supporting the Cancer Foundation fundraising, she will race in its colours for the event and brings the quality to be a very real top three chance from barrier five. Fixed odds: $3.50 & $1.65.

5:09 p.m. R10 8 Towering Vision (4 g Circus Maximus – Qiji Vision) – Michael McNab; he resumed with a solid effort for third in the Rating 75 1400 metres on 16 August at Taupo, also with Michael in the saddle, and contests the $75,000 Rating 75 1600 metres. A stakes’-winning two-year-old, and the very first for his sire, he is a course/distance winner that was stakes’ placed as a three-year-old, and he’s drawn well (1) to be a genuine first three prospect in an even field. Fixed odds: $5.00 & $2.15.

Sandown:

Weather: showers, track: Good4, rail: true. 5mls rain forecast Saturday.

6:15 p.m. (NZ) - 4:15 p.m. (Vic) R8 6 Geegees Mistruth (5 m Wordsmith – Miss Mana) – Blake Shinn; she ended her previous campaign winning A$1 million Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) in April at Morphettville, and sprinted home from three back on the outer to win a jump out on 19 August at Caulfield, also with Blake Shinn aboard. Resuming in the $750,000 Group 1 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m), she has assembled an impressive seven wins to 1400 metres, over A$1.2 million in prize money, and she has a plum gate, as well as the skills of the champion rider, to see her race well first-up in tough field. NZ TAB fixed odds: $17.00 & $3.90.

Main picture - Geegees Mistruth winning the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes