A pair of Te Akau Racing fillies will be vying to keep their Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) hopes alive when they step out this week.
Last start runner-up She Turns Heads will attempt to go one better when she heads to Tauranga on Wednesday to contest the Entain – NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1200m).
The daughter of Headwater impressed as a juvenile, placing in four of her five starts, including the Gr.3 Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m) in February.
Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson have been pleased with the way she has returned and are hoping she can break through for her maiden win this week.
“She Turns Heads will be a really nice chance on Wednesday. She has got a really nice gate (1) and I thought her first-up run was good,” Bergerson said.
“She is a rough chance of making it to the Guineas, we will just have to see how she goes on Wednesday. Hopefully the track improves a bit.”
Stablemate Superbly Written scored her maiden victory over 1300m at Taupo last month, after placing on debut at the same track a month prior.
She will step up to 1400m at her home track of Matamata on Saturday where a trip south will be on the line.
“I am looking forward to seeing if she can step up from her maiden win. She is going to race at Matamata in either the three-year-old 1400m or 65 1400m,” Bergerson said.
“She looks a nice horse going forward and she is still a chance of getting to the 1000 Guineas. Hopefully she runs well on Saturday and we can make a plan from there.”
The tangerine army will once again have strong representation throughout the country this week, including at Matamata on Saturday where they will be represented in the Listed Team Wealleans Matamata Cup (1600m) by Belle Of The Ball.
Her task in her home feature has become harder with the inclusion of Group One winners Legarto and La Crique following their scratchings from last Saturday’s Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m).
“She is going along well. She was a touch disappointing at Tauranga, but up to the 1600m should suit,” Bergerson said.
“Unfortunately, I think it is going to come up really strong now with Legarto there, which makes it pretty tough.”
The stable will also be showcasing the talents of their younger racing team, with two-year-old gelding Cognoscenti set to make his debut in the Evergreen Plumbing & M J Concept 950 at Hawera on Saturday.
“It will be exciting to see Cognoscenti head to Hawera for the two-year-old race on Saturday,” Bergerson said.
“He is an interesting runner and I think he will present a really nice chance. He does everything well here at home, so I am looking forward to kicking him off."