Royal Adder wins

Press, 13 January 1987, Page 29

Royal Adder wins

trouble getting Eridick to the front and from there he was able to nurse the speedster for the final 200 m. Sound Note had trailed the pacemaker and fought gamely while Natural Star continued his consistent form to finish third, a half length away.

full apprentice claim of 4.5 kg, and this had a big bearing on the result. The grey mare Sound Note fought on gamely in the straight to get within a half length of Eridick but she was ridden at her carded weight of 53.5 kg. Stevenson had little

Special correspondent Hokitika The Ray Pankhursttrained Royal Adder claimed yet another feature race on a West Coast racing club’s programme at Hokitika yesterday. For the second time in three years Royal Adder won the Hokitika Cup, but not before she gave her supporters some reason for concern. Settled well off the early pace by rider, Grant Davison, Royal Adder was some 12 lengths from the pacemaking Cappiemore at the 1200 m but once into the back straight she was pushed up five wide and was disputing the pace at the home turn. Royal Adder responded under a hard ride and fought off Charlie’s Pal by half a head at the finish line, with one and a quarter lengths back to Keen Pell in third place.

The win was a hardearned one.

“You’ve got to give her more work to do than the others,” Grant Davison said on dismounting. The race was a spectacular affair with all runners having some chance at the home turn. The field packed up tightly going down the back straight and there were many chances at the 300 m with horses spread across the track. Only in the final stages did Royal Adder and Charlie’s Pal draw clear.

Local galloper, Keen Pell, impressed with a bold debut in open company to finish third, while Cappiemore kept right in the picture until the final last few metres of the race.

The win capped off a successful day for trainer Ray Pankhurst. While Royal Adder represented the stable at Hokitika, Pankhurst was enjoying more success with Morrie Man at the Vincent meeting but Pankhurst was at Hokitika to witness the Cup win. A change to blinkers proved to be a most successful move for former northern sprinter, Eridick, and gave him enough renewed confidence to win the Lion Brown Handicap, second leg of the T.A.B. double yesterday.

Stable foreman for the Riccarton-based team of Paddy Busuttin, Jim Melton, explained that Eridick had had several falls in his races and had lost confidence when racing with horses around him. The plan for yesterday’s race was to take Eridick straight to the front and make the rest do the work.

Rider, Warren Stevenson, was praised by Melton for a good ride — completely to instruction. The Busuttin apprentice had his last winning ride on the Coast this time last year, when he was successful with Palvet and Water Waggon.

Apart from racing in blinkers Eridick carried only 50kg, because] of a