PAKURANGA HUNT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 194, 18 August 1931, Page 12

PAKURANGA HUNT.

A FIT HORSE. GAY COCKAI>E>S PROSPECTS. NOTES ON RECENT FORM. Gay Cockade has not had a race eince the Taumaruuui meeting, but he has done a lot of solid work since then and will strip a very fit horse for the Jellicoe Handicap. Tbie gelding gallops well in any ground and has raced prominently in several bic handicaps during the last few months. He is now getting up in the weights a bit, but that ehould not prevent him putting up a bold showing in the big race at Ellerslie next Saturday, in which he will be ridden by A. Parsons. HISTORY REPEATED. Rascal, who annexed the Heathcote Handicap at Riccarton on Saturday, won that event last year. He showed fairly good form at the meeting, being fifth in the Winter Cup and fourth in the August Handicap, both of which were won by Kahikatoa. He paid a good price. TO RACE AT TARANAKI. The Author, who was brought across from Gisborne last week, is not engaged at the Pakuranga meeting, but will race at the Taranaki Hunt meeting, to be held on August 29. He figures in the Hunters' Hurdles and the Hunters' Flat Race at the latter fixture and will most likely contest both events. HIS FIRST MOUNT. The apprentice C. T. Fuller, who is attached to F. Gilchrist's stable, has been granted an apprentice's license and will have his first ride on Hampton Park in the Dunedin Handicap next Saturday. This boy has been riding work at Ellerslie for some time past well, and as he is never likely to be troubled with an overabundance of weight should have a good future ahead of him. JELLICOE HANDICAP CANDIDATE. Valsier has arrived at headquarters to fulfil his engagement in the Jellicoe Handicap, in which event he will probably be ridden by H. Goldfinch. This horse was in good form at the recent Gisborne meet , ing, where he won the principal event on both days of that fixture, and he looks in first-class order for his contest next Satur-' day. When Valsier won at Gisborne the fields opposed to him were not strong and he will find his task more difficult in the Jellicoe Handicap at the end of the week. A LIKELY LIGHTWEIGHT. Malahat, winner of the Aislabie Memorial Handicap, one mile and a quarter, at the Gisborne winter meeting, arrived at Ellerslie last week in order to carry out his engagement in the Jellicoe Handicap, to be decided next Saturday. With one win and three seconds to his credit in his last four starts, Malahat's form has been consistent, and he is likely to get some support in his contest at Ellerslie. PAID EXPENSES. Although High Pitch failed to win a race at the National meeting, his third in the Grand National Hurdle Race on the second day and his second in the Sydenham Hurdles on the final day, would pay expenses for the trip. He has registered several good performances over hurdles during the short time, he has been at the game, and if kept to that department should more than pay his way, for he is still favourably placed in the weights. HALF-BROTHER TO LANCER. Huntley, who created a surprise when he won the Styx Hurdles at Riccarton on Saturday, is a five-year-old by Clarenceau from Bella Donna, therefore a half-brother to Lancer, and last season started on three occasions, running third in the First Hurdles at Greymoutb last December ar.|l winning on the second day. This was his only success over the battens, but he had won on the flat on the Coast the previous season. HORSES AT PAEROA. Union has fully recovered from his recent foot injury and is working very nicely (says our Paeroa correspondent). He won the sprint at Te Rapa and it will ■be interesting to see how he faxes over the mile at Pakuranga. Grand Talk is putting in some solid work in preparation for engagements at the same meeting. Both Union and Grand Talk will leave Paeroa on Friday for Ellerslie. "GOOD THING BEATEN." Wiltshire is stated to have been a good thing beaten in the Lincoln Steeplechasa at Riccarton on Saturday. He saddled up a greatly improved horse, and his jumping was done in his best style. He had charge at the second to last fence, but lost ground at the last fence, Copey heading him. However, he drew up to Copey again on the flat, and would have won if he had not been hit with the stick. SHOULD BE IMPROVED. Dominican has been paid up for in the Ladies , Bracelet at the Pakuranga meeting, an event in which he ran second to Pennyplain twelve months ago. He has only raced once since, but was not quite forward enough to do himself justice, and should be an improved horse next Saturday. The amateur rider Mr. J. Morris has been engaged to ride Dominican in his race at the' end of the week, and this will ensure the big grey gelding; being capably ridden, an important factor in races of this description. A WINNER LAST SEASON. Laet season Royal Survey ran eeveral good races, being a winner on three occasions, and if be can reproduce the eame form this season he should soon win his way out of hack class. On several occasions recently the Surveyor gelding has been brought to Ellerslie for gallopmgpurposes and has shaped satisfactorily. He is included in the field to contest the Sylvia Park Handicap at Ellerslie next Saturday, but may not be quite forward enough to compete successfully against some of the better seasoned horses in that event. TE HOIA'S PROSPECTS. When Te Hoia won the Taumarunui, Handicap at Ellerslie last month it was his first attempt. over ten furlongs in open company, and his performance was very impressive. He is due to make his next appearance over a similar distance in the Jellicoe Handicap next Saturday, and, judging by the way he is reported to be galloping at Te Awamutu, should have excellent prospects of repeating that performance at the end of this week. Te Hoia won £490 in stake-money last season, but, with ordinary luck, should earn a much larger sum before the present term is over. SHOULD WIN GOOD RACES. By finishing second to Rascal in the Heathcote Handicap at Riccarton, Gustavo must be given credit for a pleasing effort, and on that showing he should win some good races before the season is much further advanced. As a three-year-old last season Gustavo won the Dunedin Guineas and later ran second to Historic in the Harcourt Cup at Trentham, but, owing to meeting with slight injuries while racing at the Auckland summer meeting, was spelled for the remainder of the season. He has evidently made a complete recovery, judging by his recent form at Riccarton, and more is sure to be heard of him. WELL FORWARD. The success of Historic at Riccarton on Saturday seems to have been fairly well anticipated after his race in the August Handicap, which was his first for some time He is stated to have been finishing on very fast in that event, in which he carried only 179 tickets. On Saturday he had 17°2 tickets invested on him, and he won well. Historic should be hard to beat in bid handicaps during the spring. A couple of seasons ago he won the Winter Cup, Avondale Cup and Mitchelson Cup, and he is quite as »ell forward at present as he was theu.