RACING Form Luca’s Easy Win In Pakuranga Cup

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30839, 26 August 1965, Page 4

RACING Form Luca’s Easy Win In Pakuranga Cup

“The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND. Almost exactly 12 months after his first race, Form Luca, a 10-year-old, won just about the richest prize for his class in the £2OOO Pakuranga Hunt Cup at Ellerslie yesterday.

Form Luca shared the lead with Sifta Sam until they were into the last three furlongs. ' He then went ahead and, in spite of an awkward landing from the last jump, won easily. Form Luca had his first race at the Pakuranga Hunt meeting last August when he finished second in the Greenmount Steeplechase. In his next attempt, at Thames, he fell heavily. That was the end of him until the third day of the Great Northern meeting on June 12.

> His one attempt at the Great Northern meeting brought him a third in the Hunt Cup. Today's race was his seventh meanwhile. The other six brought in two firsts, four minor placings and £l7OO. Altogether he has won £3310.

A bay gelding, by Cappielluca from Bottom Form, Form Luca is owned and trained by a father and son partnership, Messrs R. C. and W. G. Morgan, of Peria, near Matamata. He was ably ridden by R. J. Leggett who has gained such wide prominence as the rider of Smoke Ring. With the others just about down to a canter Sifta Sam held second easily from Royal Count which just kept out Ringlock and Running Bear. The other finisher, Flying Swift, was almost a furlong away.

The three miles took Form Luca 6min 38sec, which was nearly 20sec slower than the time returned by last year's winner Deep Stream. When Deep Stream won, the ground was considered heavy but it was nothing compared with the track on which yesterday’s race was run. Steady overnight rain continued through the day and the going was just about as heavy as it ever becomes at Ellerslie. In the second leg of the T.A.B. double, the Jellicoe Handicap, Mantovani took Imin 49 2-ssec for the mile which was also very slow for Ellerslie. Mantovani was the 4/3 favourite on the win and place and paid £27 4s in the double with Form Luca. Mantovani has been one of the best winter gallopers for several seasons and his win, the first since he took a middle-dis-tance al Te Rapa on Labour Day, was well deserved. Mantovani took an opening on the inside with a furlong and a half to go and battled past Mali Peter close to the post. A six-year-old gelding, Mantovani has raced equally well in sprints and middle distances and he is in his element when the ground becomes very wet. Mantovani was ridden by W. T Day. an apprentice at Ellerslie in his younger days, who lias recently returned north after a spell with S. A. Brown’s stable at Woodville. It was Day’s second win in a Jellicoe Handicap, the other being on Uppercut. Crojack, the win favourite, was disappointingly fifth and Queen's Poet (2/1) also failed to get anywhere near the winner. One of the features was the finishing run of Smoke Ring which burst from the bunch for fourth.. The attendance was a sparse.

,8100 against 15.968 last year. On course bets were £79,376 com pared with £166.966 15s. Hunt Cup Running

Royal Count, No Boy, Hoss and Sifta Sam (wide), shared the lead to the first fence in the Pakuranga Hunt Cup. When they took the water, after a furlong and a half or so, Sifta Sam and Royal Count were the first two from Hoss, Running Bear, Ringlock and No Boy. There was a short gap to Flying Swift and another to Form Luca.

Sift Sam and Royal Count drew out in front approaching the hill. Form Luca was a length away last but fairly handy, the field keeping in close order.

After the fences on the hill Sifta Sam went ahead of Royal Count. Flying Swift all but joined them a little further on. There was a short gap to Royal Count and Running Bear. Over the fences down the middle Running Bear lost ground with a couple of bad jumps. But he was almost alongside Sifta Sam again as they went over the fences along the back. Once on the hill again Sifta Sam drew clear for a bit. He was then joined by Form Luca. They cleared the hill fences together. Sifta Sam then went ahead again for 100 yards or so. Royal Count was already a distant third, clear of Running Bear.

On the bend into the straight Form Luca gathered in Sifta Sam and he approached the last jump well clear. He landed badly but recovered well and won easily. Sifta Sam w-as as easily second from Royal Count and Ringlock was a length and a half way. shading Running Bear. Flying Swift was well down the straight. No Boy fell when well back, seven furlongs from home, and Hoss was pulled up at the last fence when well beaten. Leawayne Out Fast Leawayne began quickest in the Jellicoe Handicap but gave way after a furlong to Mali Peter, Surf Boy and Persian Heir. On the rise to the five furlongs Persian Heir and Surf Boy shared the pacemaking by a length from Mali Peter. There was a gap to Rochdale, Crojeck, Foxskin, Cabriere (wide), and Kiwi Fox. Smoke Ring tailed off. Persian Heir shaded Surf Boy to the three furlongs with Mali Peter close and Crojack, Foxskin, Mantovani, Cabriere and Kiwi Fox next. Persian Heir and Surf Boy tired when they started the run home. Mali Peter came ahead, looking the winner but he was overtaken by Mantovani in the last 100 yards. Kiwi Fox held third narrowly from Smoke Ring. Crojack was next then Persian Heir, Queen’s Poet and Surf Boy. Foxskin, Cabriere and Action Packed followed. Results:

GREENMOUNT HUNTERS' STEEPLECHASE, £700: about 21m.—1/1 KINGSTON (1) 10-10 J. Timms 1; 3/4 SURAMI (11) 10-7 T. Brown 2; 4/3 WAIOMOU LAD (12) 10-7 R. Blake 3. Scratched: Tudor Time. Babecia, Brookby Son, Fly One, Retief. Fourteen lengths; 10 lengths. Falada fourth. Time, 5:39. Win: £2 6s. Places: £1 9s, £2 7s 6d. £2 7s 6d. HARRIS MEMORIAL HURDLES. £700: about lim. —3/2 OANHY MOLLOY (5) 9-11 J. Hely 1; 2/3 KING'S MILL (6) 9-10 G. A. Walters 2; 5/5 GOLDEN MELODY (1) 10-2 N. C. Trewick 3. Scratched: Eisteddfod. Gipsy Fire Blue Holly. Judy Marie. Eight lengths: eight lengths. Riglaw fourth. Time, 3:38. Win: £4 13s 6d. Places: £1 I2s 6d. £1 19s 6d, £2 6s. PAKURANGA HUNT CUP, £2000: about 3m 1/1 FORM LUCA (4) 10-0 R. J. Leggett 1

3/3 SIFTA SAM (5) 9 7 J. S. Humphries 2 6 6 ROYAL COUNT (9) 9-2 W. H. Short 3 4/5 Hoss, 2/2 Ringlock. 7/7 Flying Swift, 5/4 Running Bear, 8/8 No Boy (lost rider) also started Twenty lengths: 20 lengths. Ringlock fourth. Time. 6:38. Win: £2 19s 6d. Places: £1 Bs. £1 19s. £2 6s. BULLOCK WEBSTER HANDICAP, £700: about 11m.—1/1 LONGREACH (1) 11-7 K. Browne 1: 2/2 EXPLICIT (4) 10-11 R. T. Brown 2: 3/3 CLASSIFIED 10-7 R. A. Autridge 3. Scratched: Four Aces, Swift Practice, Helenpheus, Lord Oland, Tomwatha. Long neck: five lengths. Glenaldo fourth. Times, 2:27 3-5. Win: £2. Places: £1 9s, £1 17s 6d. JELLICOE HANDICAP, £1200; Im. 4/3 MANTOVANI (3) 8-11 W. T. Day 1 5/5 MALI PETER (9) 7-12 B. W. McDonald 2 7/8 KIWI FOX (7) 8-0 N. D. Riordan 3 11/11 Rochdale, 13/13 Action Packed, 9/9 Cabriere, 1/4 Crojack, 14/15 Leawayne, 2/1 Queen’s Poet, 12/12 Umpah, 10/10 Smoke Ring, 3/2 Foxskin, 15/14 Jovic, 16/16 Earl Of Foxwood, 17/17 Pale Face, 8/6 Persian Heir, 6/7 Surf Boy also started. Three-quarters of a length; three lengths. Smoke Ring fourth. Time, 1:49 2-5. Win: £7 10s 6d. Places: £2 8s 6d. £3 9s, £4 15s 6d. ADMIRALTY HANDICAP. £1000: 6f.—4/4 MISERE (12) 8-0 B. F. Andrews 1. 1/1 MARIA MITCHELL (4) 8-8 G. L. Willetts 2: 6/6 GENERAL DERBY (8) 8-4 W. J. Mudford 3. Scratched: Travel Alone, Wonderbar, My Call, Master Defence, Supreme Courage. Half a length: two lengths and a half. Gold Chick fourth. Time, 1:21 3-5. Win: £6 19s 6d. Places: £2 4s 6d, £1 13s 6d, £3 3s 6d.

SYLVIA PARK HANDICAP, £700; 6f —4/5 PACIFIC PRINCE (15) 8-0 G. R. Edge 1; 8/9 GOLD RULER (13) 8-0 G. L. Willetts 2; 3/2 SIMONSEN (6) 8-6 R. A. Jenkins 3. Scratched: Royal Marine, Chatsworth Dee. Two lengths; long neck. Kopia fourth. Time. 1:24. Win: £8 0s 6d. Places: £2 14s 6d, £5 3s, £2 7s 6d. KARAKA HANDICAP, £700; Im.—3/4 VAL VUA (5) 8-8 R. J. Sutherland 1; 5/5 LENOMAN (10) 8-0 N. D. Riordan 2; 1/1 SONYA’S PRIDE (3) 8-9 G. H. Hughes 3 Scratched: Bombay, Khan Sahib, Takeda, Triple Wyn, Winjana One length and a half; eight lengths. Never Despair fourth. Time, 1:53. Win: £5 18s 6d. Places: £2, £2 ss. £1 Bs.