Red Gurkha to win Cup again?

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33815, 11 April 1975, Page 1 (Supplement)

Red Gurkha to win Cup again?

( fyl

W. R. CARSTON)

Since 1910, Roy Bun’s year, no horse has won the Marlborough Cup twice. But Red Ghurka might prove the exception to that rule in the first leg of the Marlborough Racing Club’s T.A.B. double at Blenheim tomorrow.

This free-going son of Mighty Gurkha has not won a race for 12 months — his last success was in the 1974 Marlborough Cup — but like many horses who have competed on the MarlboroughNelson circuit in the last few years he, too, might lift his form right out of the doldrums. Compared with some who have continually “missed” between annual jaunts to the Northern provinces of the South Island then looked top class for about 10 days while competing on the circuit Red Gurkha’s recent form is reasonably sound. In fact, his last four starts have yielded a third, in high weight company at Trentham. two fourths and a fifth. Red Gurkha will be one of three North Island runners assured of strong backing. The others are Elsthorpe. this season's Wairoa Cup winner, and Henselite. whose recent record includes a close third to Seven Forty Seven and Chelsea Tower over the Marlborough Cup distance at Feilding last Saturday week. [ But Northern stayers are unlikely to have things all I their own wav The turning

f course might not be entirely , to the liking of the Goretrained top-weight. Magic ’ Touch, but if she manages f the turns without too much j bother, her 57kg is unlikely . to keep her out of the finish. RICCARTON HOPES Bun Tuck and Regal Ration J could be Riccarton’s best. The I former, which has compiled a fairly useful record on the J provincial courses this sea,’son showed he was ready to J switch to middle-distance racing again with a fast-j ] finishing fifth among the] sprinters on his home course! I last week. Regal Ration has found , success elusive this season. I hut his sound run for fourth’ .in last Saturday’s Great] , Autumn Handicap raised’ • hopes that a change for the] , better might be close at hand If the horses-for-courses! I theory proves the best guide , the issue in the D. 1.. Duncan! Handicap, second leg of the] ( main double, should be , between Surge Again and r Scotch William, from Canter- } bury stables, and the! I northern sprinters. Aka s Pride and C larindella -Surge Again won the cor ’ I responding event on Marl- > boiough Cup da; last year]

and has added another four open sprint victories — the most recent at Rangiora only a few weeks ago — to his record meantime.

Twelve months ago Clarin della and Scotch William were both winners among the lesser lights at Blenheim and Aka’s Pride was unbeaten in two starts in the two-year-old events there.