Macdonald Winner Of Pakuranga Hunt Cup

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31767, 26 August 1968, Page 5

Macdonald Winner Of Pakuranga Hunt Cup

“The Press” Special Service

AUCKLAND.

Macdonald, a Southland gelding which came north to win the Great Northern Hurdles in 1966 and stayed, had his first success over fences since when he took the Pakuranga Hunt Cup at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Clean jumping had never been his strong point but his play on this occasion was as good as any and he ran away over the last half-mile.

Macdonald was unlucky not to win the last Waikato Hunt Cup and only a careless jump, half a mile from home, kept him out of the finish.of the McGregor Grant Steeplechase at the last Great Northern meeting. For all that, he was no more due to win than his rider, L. R. Norris. Norris had not been on a winner since he got Van Dyke home first in the Pohutu Highweight at Rotorua in February last year. Macdonald finished sixth in the McGregor Grant Steeplechase and a close second in the Waikato Hunt Cup which seems likely to be another good opportunity for him this spring. He is a rugged eight-year-old which reached good form on the flat in Southland before being put to jumping. His two latest races before the Hunt Cup were in middledistance handicaps.

Macdonald ran the three miles of the Hunt Cup very strongly all the way. Without much effort he was a close third behind the pacemakers. Paromac and HI There, about 11 furlongs to go

When Paromac began to fade Macdonald trailed Hi There closely, as they climbed the hill about six furlongs from home, and bv the time they had taken the next two jumps he was out in front on his own. Gam, Effort Hi There, making a game effort with his 10-12, clung to second place until the last few yards where hi* was nosed out by Khanate. Falada was a distant fourth and Kimberlite came next. Victory Prince. Paromac Briar Vine and KlrribiUi were the other finishers.

Jumping Joe and Robin's Report both went out at the sec-

ond of two fences along the back, with about seven furlongs to run and Gay Erin fell at the second jump on the hill, about half a mile from the finish. He was fifth at the time and not going badly. Drew Out Gay Marilyn won as easily as Macdonald, in the second leg of the T.A.B. double, the JeMicoe Handicap. After shaking off Alkaid, with which she shared the pace over the first half-mile, Gay Marilyn drew away to hold a big lead all through the run home. Messene and Head Fancy battled away from the others into second and third.

Gay Marilyn was a disappointment when eighth out of 17 just three days before over the same course in the August Handicap and many in the crowd did not take too kindly to her improved showing.

Gay Marilyn had been beaten at Te Awamutu and at Matamata before she ran in the August Handicap but she was one of the most consistent Waikato gallopers through the winter.

Neither Blue Winter nor Proud Chief, Avondale Cup candidates which were running out of their distance, looked likely to be in the finish.

Redalr, a Hastings, visitor, kept up until the straight then faded badly.