Te Akau notches up hometrack treble

[Wandering Eyes]

The impressive recent strike-rate of Opie Bosson continued at Matamata on Wednesday, with the top hoop steering home three winners for Te Akau trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson.

Bosson has shared his riding engagements between New Zealand and Australia this season, most notably to partner the recently sold star Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), but has still managed to guide home 84 winners on Kiwi soil from just 320 rides.

The first of his winning treble at Matamata was aboard Bella Voce, a daughter of Fastnet Rock, who had collected two second placings and a fourth in as many career starts.

She was fancied near-unbeatable at $1.70 in the Entain – NZB Insurance Pearl Series Race (1200m), and after jumping positively, raced boldly along the back straight on-speed outside of Waiterimu.

Bosson allowed the filly to slide into the lead turning for home, and that margin only continued to extend as she raced away for a 3-1/2 length victory.

“She was on the job and pretty keen early,” Bosson said.

“She will be better ridden in behind them but was too good for them ridden that way today.”

Bella Voce was purchased by Te Akau principal David Ellis at the 2022 Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and Walker was pleased to see her performing well in the early stages of her career.

“She appeared to have the race under control a long way from home and looked really good stretching out in the straight,” Walker said.

“She’s taken a bit of time to mature, but she’s certainly got ability and you’d expect her to continue growing in confidence with the win.

“It was good to see her being able to quicken with give in the ground, which is a big help at this time of the year, and we can now look to a Saturday grade race from here.

“She’s developing into a big strong filly, has a beautiful pedigree, and it’s great to get a win early in her career.”

Te Akau Racing stablemate Akenehi (Fastnet Rock) was tipped at a similar quote ($1.90) to enter the winner’s circle for the first time in the Thank You Vaughan Nowell 1400, and after a comfortable run midfield, she set to fight out the finish alongside second-favourite One More Dance (NZ) (Sweynesse).

The pair put distance between the remainder of the field, but Akenehi proved too strong in the finish and scored by a long neck in the colours of breeders Trelawney Stud.

Completing the combination’s winning treble was Polly Plum, who bounced back from her last-start effort on the Cambridge Synthetic to claim the Toby Autridge Memorial (1400m).

A daughter of impressive former Te Akau representative Xtravagant, Polly Plum travelled midfield and was kept closer to the inside by Bosson while others veered to the outer turning for home, and that move paid off when she held off the late charge of Vino Valentino (NZ) (Zacinto) by a head.

Wednesday’s win was the five-year-old mare’s fourth in 25 starts for the Te Akau Enfranchise Racing Partnership.

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