Teaz hoping for another good day at Otaki

[Wandering Eyes]

By Brigette Solomon

Ohaupo based trainer Jason Teaz starts three runners today at Otaki’s grass track meeting and is hoping that with a bit of luck they can feature amongst the placings. 

Teaz heads into the meeting fresh off the back of a winning double on Sunday, with both Major Break and Veronica Jane winning their respective races. Today Major Break starts in the Grant Plumbing Ltd Otaki Cup Mobile Pace, while Veronica Jane steps out in the Bebbington Country Cup Handicap Trot. 

“They both won well on Sunday but they’re significantly up in grade today and will find it tougher” said Teaz “But I’m heartened that Peter Ferguson has elected to stick with them and drive them again today.”

Major Break’s scored her second career win on Sunday with the mare leading from start to finish to win by a neck over the fast finishing Sweet Spirit. In today’s feature pace, the Art Major mare starts from barrier six, with plenty of speed drawn inside her. 

“She’s jumped up in grade quite a bit in today’s race but she likes the grass and is racing tough at the moment” says Teaz “I think Lord Delmar will likely lead and from our draw we may get left hanging but she’s a good place chance and a few of her owners are locals here so it’s great for them to have one running in the cup and that they got a win with her on day one.”

In the Bebbington Country Cup Handicap Trot, Veronica Jane starts off a ten metre handicap and is easily the least experienced horse in the field having only had six race day starts. In three of those starts she got things wrong, with the remaining three starts yielding two wins. 

Her victory on day one of Otaki’s meeting was well fought, when after a conservative trip sitting four back on the fence, she took the passing lane to hit the front half way up the straight before being tackled stride for stride by Trippy Tyron, finally drawing ahead in the final strides to win by half a length. 

“She won really well on Sunday, but it would have been nice for her to have run a few more placings along the way to get some more race experience before having to start in this grade” says Teaz “In saying that she’s competitive enough, and they went a few seconds quicker in her race than the open trot.”

“I don’t think the extra distance over 2700 metres today will worry her, she’ll go all day and tries pretty hard but maybe lacks a little speed” says Teaz “provided she gets away from the start ok we’ll be looking to drive her similar to Sunday and sit quietly and just have one run at them.”

“She has a bit more to learn yet, but we’re here so may as well have a crack and this trip away will really do her good.”

Alongside his Country Cup runners, Teaz also starts Hawthornden Beach (8) in the Tall Poppy Real Estate Otaki Mobile Pace. 

“It was a steep learning curve for her having her first start on Sunday and she got things wrong, but we’ve pulled her hopples up and she is capable of better so hopefully we see that today.”

The Racing action at Otaki gets underway today at 3.42pm. 

 

 

 

View the full article