THE THREE-YEAR-OLDS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 35, 10 August 1934, Page 6

THE THREE-YEAR-OLDS

ENTRANTS FOR PAKURANGA

(Special from "Early Bird.")

AUCKLAND, This Day

Principal interest in the Pakuranga Hunt Club's Annual Meeting every year is taken in the advent of the three-year-olds, with an appetiser in the way of a parade of two-year-olds prior to the first race. There ■ appeared to be a serious dearth of two-year-olds in the Auckland Provinco last season, and this has boon reflected in the number of three-year-olds entered for the fixture at BUerslie nest week. Early form has been shown by the .smart youngsters of this age at the Paku-, ranga Meeting. For instance, last spring Gay Sheila was ".produced cere and she led all the way to win the hack seven furlongs, following this up with successes in the Avondalo Champion Hack Plate, Avondale Guineas/ and Great Northern Guineas. This season, however, the procedure, in so far as getting the juveniles ready for the classics is concerned, is slightly different, for there is a, much longer interval, with Auckland not racing till mid-October and -the, Avondale fixture not for three weeks later. Therefore, it might be asking rather much of;!a young horse: to have it ready for serious racing exactly eight weeks before the big spring fixtures commence. Probably the' two best two-year-olds lust season were Burnish and Gay Blonde,: although they were beaten more than once. They finished up their first season's programme by dead-heating in the Champagne Stakes at Ellerslio on Easter Saturday. Both fillies claim early classic engagements, so that Gay Blonde's firs). appearance in the open sprint at Ellerslie next week will be of particular interest. In this race Gay Blonde has been handicapped at 7.12, which is 41b over w'eight-for-age and the opposition is fairly strong, although not actually up to. weight-for-age standard. Weight Alone should not bring about the defeat of this smart filly, and if she is to be beaten it will probably be for Jack of condition. She has been sprinted a few times and she promises to be fairly forward, but as to being well enough to win first up remains to be seen. Next week's work-outs may give the answer, but in the meantime it is satisfactory to learn that Gay.Blonde has wintered well, despite a hard season's racing. She certainly starts off the new season with better credentials than her sister Gay Sheila did twelve months ago. Gay Blonde is the outstanding three-year-old engaged next week, but another interesting, filly of this age is Astarth, a half-sister to Ammon Ra. However, this filly is still green and one will have to wait for her to show form. She was produced at Rotorua last month, and while she showed some pace, among the maidens she has a long way to go yet to reach the class of her distinguished relative. An elder full-sister to Ariimon Ra in Prolyxo has been very disappointing, and it is possible that the female side of the line may not be quite so good as the male, although Prodice was a notable :xception. Sporting Song ran several good races last spring, but he was troubled with soreness and had to be put aside for a time. He has had a long spell, but of late weeks he has been sprinting at Ellerslie in most promising fashion He has the pace and he should not take long to work himself out of the hack ranks He is engaged in the hack seven furlongs, in which he is on the same mark as some good winners. At the back-end of last season the two-year-old Kelly was just coming right For instance, at Avondale he showed a lot of pace, and his finishing effort was characterised by determination. After that outing Kelly was put aside and in the interim he has done well for himself. His engagement tomorrow week is in the mile Auckland Handicap, the class engaged being very modest, so that with bottom weight, 7.2, he should have every chance of getting on the winning list. He has been doing fairly Rood work at Ellerslie and ho should pay his way during the spring. The only other of last season's two-year-olds to show promise that is engaged at Ellerslie next week iB Day Wind, whose solitary successful effort waß at Te Rapa. where'he;beat a useful field very narrowly." Day Wind was highly thought of in the spring, and although he failed to act up to expectations, not overlooking his one victory, it is probable that he wili^be a better horse this season He is out m that one-time eood mare Merry Day. who won quite, a/ few good races round .Hip Wellington Province a few seasons back ■; Taken all round, the three-year-olds entered for the Pnkuranga Hunt MeetrojT nre ' disappointingly few in number but thin was. not unexneoted. it is toite Wed that what Hipv lnrlc in nimntslF. •■•ill hf imiwtli«n -nmriprimitprl for hv n'avi nf nnnHtv." Thf nutlnn'c Hiis •jp^wr i= sn.TT»p-iviint. hrivVpi. f "r>"i tht> ("•mw 'V'V Hipwpri;nt.'..;f(rty tfy>"p.nre tnnre in Tn"V:j!*; T-P-Pnt: 'linn, !]* M" np*<n'l-last «'pnr '..'[y