GOLD NUGGETS TO BUN TUCK

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33740, 13 January 1975, Page 14

GOLD NUGGETS TO BUN TUCK

(From Our Own Reporter)

GREYMOUTH.

Bun Tuck came up with one of his best runs at Kumara on Saturday and carried off the much sought-after Kumara Gold Nuggets.

Bun Tuck’s form has been pretty hard to follow at times, but he seems to have really come solid this summer. This latest victory in the colours of his Christchurch owners, Messrs Barney Ryan and Eric Woodbury, was his third in a little more than a month.

His first success for the season came at Greymouth on December 3 and at his next start he won the Hororata Cup on his home course at Riccarton.

Bun Tuck, which is prepared by the father-son combination of Joe and Peter Williams, has been ridden in his last two victories by David Reed, a Riccarton horseman.

On Saturday Reed took Bun Tuck to the front from the start. He lost the lead to Eidi 600 metres out, but rallied gamely again close to the end and came out best by half a head.

Bev Leigh, one of the tailenders on the home turn, finished strongly for third and the warm favourite, Audaciter, was a moderate fourth. He failed to quicken in the run home after getting a trailing run to the straight. Another disappointment of the race was the effort of the second favourite Kai Tak. He never raised the hopes of his backers; tailing off early and beating only Three Sevens home. SECOND LEG

The Gold Nuggets was the first leg of the Kumara Racing Club’s T.A.B. double. The second leg, the West Derby Handicap, was won in style by the Orari-trained and owned New York. This was the second win on the circuit—she shared the honours with Butch at Reefton last Wednesday—for Lionel Pratt’s Grey William mare.

New York, also in the hands of Reed, made ground steadily after a slow beginning and swamped her rivals for finishing speed. She won going away by two lengths and a half from My Game, which had been handy in the running throughout. Revell’s Road improved two places from the turn for a close third and he was followed in by the tiring pacemaker, Jubal, and Butch, which was running on after being far back. The favourite, Paratonnerre, was sixth. Uncharacteristically, he was beaten for early pace and after being fifth into line could pull out nothing extra.