Te Akau Wins on Te Akau Day

Date: 13 May 2013

Te Akau Wins on Te Akau Day


After running on nicely in a recent trial on the same course, Prospero (5 g High Chaparral - Alfred's Jewel, Le Belvedere) resumed with a stylish win on May 13 at Paeroa.


On a day hosted by the Waikato Racing Club, where the entire programme was sponsored by Te Akau, Prospero took out the ‘Mark Walker Leads Singapore Premiership' over 1670 metres for owners David Devonshire, Carey Pearce, and Rex Pearce.


Given a lovely ride by Aaron Kuru, Prospero pushed forward from barrier seven to take up a prominent position. Let find his feet to pass the 800 metres in eighth, and standing the leader six lengths at the 600m, he made good ground to range on the inside of runners a furlong out and sustained a big finish to win comprehensively by three quarters of a length.


Overlooked in betting despite a couple of good performances against strong opposition in his recent form-line, Prospero returned $16.90 & $4.40 on the NZ TAB.


“He's returned with a bang”, said Te Akau trainer Jason Bridgman, of the fresh-up win. “Nothing went right when the tracks dried out in his last prep and after a good spell he caught the eye late in his trial here and his work had been very good subsequently. The writing was on the wall that he would go a big race fresh, and he did, so it's a very pleasing return.


“He's obviously gone well fresh over a mile, but he'll be stepped up in distance as we work him through the grades,” said Bridgman.


Already a winner on slow footing over 2200 metres at Rotorua, Prospero is a half-brother to Winter Cup (Gr. 3, 1600m) winner Superturf (Black Minnaloushe), Turfstar (Danske), and King Kalani (Askalani), a family noted for handling rain-affected footing. His dam, Alfred's Jewel, is a half-sister to impressive winning mare Beaujolais (Classic Fame).


Although unable to be on course, co-owner Rex Pearce took in the race on Trackside. “I saw him before he went into the gates and thought ‘gee, he looked bright'. He ran very well and against that line-up fresh I thought he might be in it and Aaron rode him well. He punched him through and he kept a strong gallop to the line. He had failed in his last two on hard tracks, so you never know but when I saw him travelling into it I thought he's going alright and he burst through.


“David (Devonshire) and Carey (Pearce) and I met up and had a meal last week when David was over in New Zealand, from Singapore. We talked about the horse starting and were all hoping for the best and it was great encouragement for the winter ahead that he resumed with a win,” said Rex Pearce. 


(picture credit www.raceimages.co.nz)

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