Te Akau will have at least one leading contender in Saturday’s feature race at New Plymouth, with the weather to decide if they strengthen their hand.
Co-trainer Mark Walker confirmed Dream Of The Moon will take her place in the Gr.3 Platinum Homes New Plymouth Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m), with the stable undecided if the unbeaten Captured By Love will take her place.
“She could be doubtful if the track ended up really wet, the forecast is for 17mls on Friday and 13 for Saturday, so we’ll wait to make our minds up,” he said.
“She is a real talent and she’s showed it from day one, she is a really nice filly.”
The daughter of Written Tycoon followed up a debut win with success in the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) while stablemate Dream Of The Moon was third in the Trentham event off the back of a Riccarton victory.
“She’ll run even if it’s wet, in her first start it was bottomless, but her trials have been good on wettish ground,” Walker said.
“She has done nothing wrong, that’s for sure.”
Prise De Fer’s participation in the Gr.3 Denis Wheeler Earthmoving Taranaki Cup (1800m) is also up in the air.
“He could run in an open 2000m at Matamata next Wednesday, we’re on a weather watch really,” Walker said.
Capable Ace High filly My Lips Are Sealed will step out in the Listed Grangewilliam Stud Oaks Prelude (1800m) after a close second in the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) two runs back before she was fifth in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2050m).
“She handles wet ground so it’s not going to bother her and she’s very well,” Walker said.
“The other one, Glitzy Glory, is on the ballot and if it was wet she wouldn’t go.”
Te Akau also has black type hopes at Wingatui with Perfect Scenario in the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge WFA (1600m), Elegant Lady in the Listed Positive Signs + Print Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) and Sense Of Timing to run in the Listed Dunedin City Motors Dunedin Guineas (1500m).
“Perfect Scenario has come back well again, and it was a really good win last start, he is going into it in the right frame of mind,” Walker said.
The Iffraaj six-year-old finished strongly to win over 1400m on the course last month to emphasise he is in the right order to defend his White Robe title.
Elegant Lady won three on the bounce before the daughter of Highly Recommended finished a gallant last-start third in the Waikouaiti Cup (2200m).
“There’s always a question mark with Elegant Lady at the mile and a-half, you don’t know until they try but she has given the impression she will like it,” Walker said.
Sense Of Timing broke her maiden at Rotorua two runs back and the stable believed she had a genuine excuse when unplaced in the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).
“We believe it was just the track that tripped her up at Trentham so we couldn’t get any sort of a line on her,” Walker said.
“We thought we would carry on down south to try and get some black type for her."