RACING Empyreus And Starlit Prospects For Hastings

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30715, 2 April 1965, Page 4

RACING Empyreus And Starlit Prospects For Hastings

"The Press" Special Service

WELLINGTON.

The three-year-olds, Empyreus and Starlit, both last-start winners at Trentham, look well placed in the TA.B. double on the opening day of the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s autumn meeting tomorrow. The races are the Hawke’s Bay Cup and the Havelock Flying Handicap.

Empyreus will face easily his hardest mid-dle-distance test but on the way he won the George Adams mile at Trentham he should not be worried by the distance.

He won the open handicap at Gisborne impressively, but against a moderate field and he won a glorified canter for the New Zealand St. Leger. In track work since he has done well. He was withdrawn from last week’s Awapuni Gold Cup solely because of the heavy ground. The presence of Palisade and Royal Duty makes the Hawke’s Bay Cup the most intriguing handicap of the season and it would not be surprising if the club’s handicapper had wanted to call on a reliable conjuror before the weights were issued.

There was practically nothing between Palisade and Royal Duty in the Wattie Presentation Handicap but Palisade won it, then last week under weight-for-age conditions and meeting Palisade 141 b worse Royal Duty beat him easily. Great Chance

Baloo, specially if the track is firm, would have a great chance. He is forward but could not gallop in the heavy ground last week. Llanmai, a stablemate of Palisade, is also forward and his Manawatu defeat was surprising. Once again the only excuse that can be made is the state of the ground. Sail Away went within an ace of equalling the New Zealand mile and a half record the last time he started. His jockey considered Sail Away a little unlucky to lose as he was carried back when horses came around him and he then started to hang when in the clear. Apa can be expected to run another good race on his favourite track. He won and was placed at Hastings at the last Napier Park meeting and because of the composition of the Hawke’s Bay Cup field he comes in relatively well with 7-10. Light-weight possibilities are Narbada, if a suitable rider can be obtained at 7-1, Sir Robert, a giant under weight against hacks, and Harvest Moon, a handy fifth in the Wellington President’s Handicap after being right with them to the furlong. Capless won comfortably at Wanganui and since he meets an appreciably better field he

has less than three pounds more.

Starlit and Grand Win both won their last start, the races being at Trentham, and are the principal protagonists in the Havelock Flying Handicap. Starlit is favoured more, though for a three-year-old filly she faces a difficult task under Bst 111 b. She won well with Bst 61b at Trentham however, and should manage the extra weight. Right Weight Grand Win had Bst 91b for her win, so 9st too is not excessive. She ran a great race under 9st 21b for a close second at Riccarton in November.

The Auckland Cup winner Lucky Son reappears at the beginning of his public preparation for winter racing. He has done a reasonable amount of work and is further forward than appears at first glance. Even so, a win against the seasoned sprinters might be asking rather much. Baraboo and Plantation will appeal if the track is firm and Dhuran if it is soft. The best light-weight however, should be Prince Hagen. He recovered a tremendous amount of ground last week in a needle-in-the-haystack search for firmer going and finished a fair fourth. Selections: — 11.30 a.m. Poukawa Maiden Stakes No. 1:. Ocean Star, Zihl, Morgold. Noon—Riverslea Highweight: Princess Merit, Kurrajong, Melvaig. 12.40 p.m.— Poukawa Maiden Stakes No. 2: Rushing, Nasa Fair, Far Cry. 1 p.m.—Autumn Hack Handicap: Gave Ail, Emba, Karent. 2 p.m.—Nursery Handicap: Happy Jan, Topless, Might. 2.45 p.m.—Hawke’s Bay Cup: Empyreus, Royal Duty, Palisade. 3.30 p.m. Heretauga Hack Handicap: Vijay, El Cerrito, Sweet Dream. 4.15 p.m.—Havelock Flying Handicap: Starlit, Grand Win, Prince Hagen. 4.55 p.m.—Oreka Handicap: Shut, Gold Ruth, Mukupai. Fields, with form, for the double are:— 2.45 p.m.— HAWKE’S BAY CUP, £2250; Ilf. st. lb 1612 Palisade (2) ..99

4.15 p.m.— HAVELOCK FLYING HANDICAP,

8421 Royal Duty <» „ 8 11 1111 Empyreus (6) „ 8 7 3007 Baloo (16) 8 6 4800 Bandon (S) 8 6 2214 Titian (13) 8 5 3724 Llanmai (1) 8 3 1512 Sail Away to) 8 2 6137 Apa (4) 3 10 2154 Sparkling Maid (7 7 9 8220 Hi-Minx (15) 7 4 0060 Funny Story (10) . 7 3 9336 El Ganador (17) 7 9 1111 Sir Robert (IS) 7 2 0021 Capless (14) 7 4 1112 Narbada (11) 7 1 0005 Harvest Moon (12 7 0 3966 Pinocchio (3) 7 0 Scratched: Ichtar (20). Marco Lee (19).

st. lb 1331 Grand Win (2) ». 9 0 0081 Lucky Son (5) . 8 12 1021 Starlit (6) 8 11 4973 Gymkhana <4) ... S S 8356 Baraboo (11) .. 8 4 50 Plantation (10) .. 8 4 110 Dhuran (9) .. 7 1’ 7913 Count Carmel (3) 7 5 0724 Prince Hagen (7) .. 7 3 4536 Gold Dowa (7) -.7 1 6869 Hello Kinfel (12) .. 7 0 0060 Supreme Courage (8) 7 0