By BARRY STREET
Te Akau Jack looked an Auckland Cup prospect when he ran third behind Nikisha and Ebony Honor in the Queen Elizabeth Handicap at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
The only trouble was he was not even entered for the cup, won by Our Unicorn from Ebony Honor and Nikisha, last Monday.
"His main aim all along this season has been the Wellington Cup," trainer Mark Walker said yesterday. "He is a horse who has needed a bit of time."
So, Te Akau Jack must now be regarded as a definite Wellington Cup chance at Trentham on January 27.
The more so if he can win the Murray East Tours and Travel 2400m - without too much threat of a Wellington Cup rehandicap - at Te Rapa tomorrow.
A winner so far of seven races, 7-year-old Te Akau Jack hinted two starts back that this year could be his best.
That was when he flashed home from well back to snatch an open-class 2000m win at Awapuni by a nose.
His Queen Elizabeth third, again finishing fast, confirmed he was a late bloomer who finally had reached full strength and maturity.
A year ago Te Akau Jack was good enough for second, only a neck from Honourable, in the Murray East Tours and Travel.
This time he should win it, much to the delight of a co-owner, David Ellis, who is president of the Waikato Racing Club.
"He has the right barrier position [No 1] and promises to be very competitive." That was Mark Walker's pre-race forecast yesterday.
Before the taking of a final acceptance yesterday there were several other Wellington Cup contenders among Te Akau's rivals tomorrow, notably Desert Rain, Soldier Blue, Greene Street and Big Hustler.
Desert Rain flopped in the Auckland Cup more than likely because the track was not to his liking. He is a huge horse who must have firm footing, as he showed when equal third in the Waikato Cup at Te Rapa in mid-December.
Soldier Blue was allowed to bypass the Auckland Cup after a bout of colic put him out of action and cost him a New Zealand Cup start at Riccarton in mid-November.
He is now steadily regaining full fitness for the Wellington Cup carnival at Trentham, where he has raced well.
Greene Street is an enigma, a former 1600-2000m specialist who last year confounded form experts by leading all the way over 2200m and burning off his rivals by five lengths in the group two Hawkes Bay Cup at Hastings.
Perhaps, as with Te Akau Jack, it could be a case of 6-year-old Greene Street reaching his career peak later than most horses.
As for his tackling 2400m tomorrow and facing 3200m at Trentham, he does have the Zabeel sire factor in his favour, also a maestro trainer, Noel Eales of Awapuni.
Indeed, should Greene Street hare away tomorrow, pursued no doubt by Kickit, the Murray East Tours and Travel 2400m could be an enlightening Wellington Cup guide.
Racing: Mature Jack aimed at Trentham
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