Te Akau Racing is sending out two promising fillies to maintain their Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) aspirations at Tauranga, New Zealand.
She Turns Heads, who was a runner-up in her last start, will be looking to go one better at Tauranga this week.
The daughter of Headwater showed immense promise as a juvenile, achieving placings in four out of five starts, including a notable performance in the Group 3 Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m) in February.
Trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are satisfied with her return and are hopeful that she can secure her maiden win in the upcoming race.
Bergerson commented, “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.
“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.”
Meanwhile, stablemate Superbly Written, who recently claimed her maiden victory over 1300m at Taupo, is set to step up to 1400m at her home track of Matamata on Saturday.
Her performance will determine whether she earns a trip south and remains in contention for the 1000 Guineas.
Bergerson expressed anticipation, saying, “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.
“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.”
Te Akau Racing will also be well-represented elsewhere this week, including the Listed Matamata Cup (1600m) at Matamata on Saturday, where Belle Of The Ball will carry their colors.
The addition of Group One winners Legarto and La Crique to the race has made the competition tougher.
The stable will also introduce their younger racing talent, with two-year-old gelding Cognoscenti making his debut at Hawera on Saturday.
Bergerson is excited about Cognoscenti's prospects, stating, “It will be exciting to see Cognoscenti head to Hawera for the two-year-old race on Saturday.
“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.”