HUNTING CAT'S PROGRESS

Evening Post, Issue 13, 16 January 1936, Page 8

HUNTING CAT'S PROGRESS

THe Wellington Cup candidate Hunting Cat showedin a gallop at Hastings on Tuesday that he still, holds the* form that .enabled him to win the Manawatu Cup recently. The facfe that the. track, at Trentham will . be more yielding than , the Awapuni course was will be a factor in his favour. The last Manawatu Cup winner to go on and score at Trentham was Nobleman in 1918, but Sir Solo and Kilrain also did so in 1913 and 1914 respectively.

Hunting Cat (P. Atkins) had Passion Fruit (R. Marsh) and Tidal Song as companions in Tuesday's trial, but the report' mentions neither the distance nor the- time. Over the early stages Tidal Song and Passion Fruit made !the pace to enter the.straight three or four lengths' .ahead, but > when Atkins asked Hunting Cat to do better he „ came on well and strongly, X and, kicked right out, he , got'■'lip. in/the'last chain to pass ths winning peg half a length in' front of Passion Fruit. \ Hunting Cat. was ridden in behind to,see how he would finish, and: as -he did his work so well at the close his connections were satisfied. Passion. Fruit went very^ well considering that he was out making the pace all the way. For a hack, Tidal Song also pleased, and it was only over . the last half-furlong that the two more experienced horses beat her off.