HUNTING CAT'S TURN?

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 35, 11 February 1936, Page 14

HUNTING CAT'S TURN?

EGMONT CUP CONTESTANTS

(Special from "Early Bird.") HAWERA, This Day. The recent very wet weather in the Taranaki Province has made the tracks easy, but, provided it remains fine today and tomorrow, the course at Hawera, referred to as one of the best ailweather tracks available, should be in. perfect order for the Egmont Racing Club's Meeting which opens tomorrow and concludes on Thursday. The fields for the opening day are of useful dimensions and will be better all round than those seen out at New. Plymouth. Of primary importance tomorrow is the Egmont Cup, an event notable in the past for the good horses that have won it. With thirteen acceptors, tomorrow's contest, the 55th of its kind, promises to be every bit as good as its predecessors. Hunting Cat, the topweight, will be in demand, for he was hampered at a vital stage in the Taranaki Cup and then was going better than anything at the finish. He now meets Aussie Ra, the Taranaki Cup winner, 741b better, so there should not be much between them, with the roomier course favouring the topweight. Might went a good race on Saturday, being right behind the leader at the turn, only to weaken from there, but in his case, too, the Hawera groutyl will suit him better. Lowenberg will require to show improvement if he is to win but he is a fairly good three-year-old and as such in this class must be included as a possibility.. Gay Broney was all at sea in the Caranaki Cup, tho soft track beating him, but on Saturday he was flying in fourth'place at the post, slightly less than two lengths behind the winner. . Fersen was a big disappointment at New Plymouth and there is a tendency to suspect that he has been overrated; when this ■■'. question arises it usually pays to follow a horse. Full Throttle has yet to be proved over a mile and a quarter, and his chance may come if he is reserved for the welter event. Aussie Ra won the Taranaki Cup on its merits, for he was not too well placed in the middle stages and then finished on strongly like a stayer. He now meets Tahurangi, second,, much worse, and on the figures the latter might be expected to turn the tables, but Aussie Ra impresses as the more likely to improve, especially as Tahurangi is always a hard horse to beat at New Plymouth. Silk Sox and Aga Khan are recent failures, and St. Clara does not appeal, even if she does go her best races at Hawera. Alchemic is now returning to his spring form, for after being just cut out of third place in the Taranaki Cup he made the pace io within iifty yards of the post on Saturday, when Passion Fruit cut him down, the three-year-old hanging on well for second money. ' . Refresher won the sprint last Thursday very easily, and then with 9.0 up he was in front the whole way in the open seven furlongs. His rider did not draw the whip' until thn'ty yards from the finish and then it was only to make probable victory a certainty. He now has a big weight. 9.7. in the Flying Handicap, and those in receipt of liberal concessions-may turn the tables on the veteran. Friesland was backed very heavily in the seven on Saturday, and after having every chance he collapsed a furlong and a half from home. With a fast track tomorrow he may prove this form wrong. Limulus goes fast, and Courtega, the consistent, and the disappointing Lady Kyra may also play their part in the sprint. Miss Hushabye is improving with racing. Full Throttle and Glenvane read well in the Whareroa Handicap, and there is plenty of excellent hack material to make the Nolan Hack Cup the race of. the day. Excellent fields are engaged in the minor events, the hurdles in particular drawing a brilliant lot together, this event marking the reappearance as a jumper of that good horse Tudor.