PAKANUI'S NEXT RACE

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 84, 8 April 1936, Page 13

PAKANUI'S NEXT RACE

SECOND DAY AT AUCKLAND

HASTINGS HOLIDAY TEAM

(Special to the "Evening Post.")

HASTINGS, This Day.

Hawke's Bay stables over the Easter Meetings will be represented at Auckland by Maine, Happy Landing, and Pakanui, at Wairarapa by Lacquer, Stitchbird, Big Dook, Pladie, Silver River, Gay Hunter, Speed, and Royal Solo, and at Feilding by Journet, Ben Braggie, Hunting Cat, Royal Banquet, Candico, Sardius, and Passion Flower. The big majority hailing from Hastings and Greenmeadows stables will be at Waipukurau,

The racing at Hastings last Saturday was of a most interesting and educative nature, and followers of form are •quite prepared to take the running last Saturday as a fairly reliable guide.

Happy Landing had- every chance in the H.B. Cup with his 7.9 but failed to do better than sixth in -a field that could hardly be designated as top class. On that form his chances in either the A.R.C. Easter or the St. Leger are not bright. This three-year-old might be all the better if not pitted against the best now and reserved for next season, as he gives indications of developing into a first-grade handicap proposition if given time. Maine has been racing most consistently recently and although she had no show of defeating Pakanui last Saturday over six furlongs she finished most impressively and enhanced her prospects for the President's Handicap at Ellerslie on Saturday. She has only 31b above the minimum, which gives her a good chance of proving whether she is up to open company. Astute judges from here will be very disappointed if she is not one or two.

Pakanui is the best horse trained at Hastings for quite a few seasons, and perhaps there has been nothing like him since Hunting Cry, another son of Hunting Song. He gave a glorious exhibition of orthodox galloping when winning at Hastings. On the morning of that race he sprinted three furlongs effortlessly in 34Jsec, to equal the record held by The Hawk and Statuette. He is not engaged the first day at Ellerslie, and although his name figures in the field listed for' the St. Leger on Monday his mission will be the Huia Handicap, 6 furlongs.

A fair field goes from here to Wairarapa. Stitchbird, engaged in the maiden, gave no. indication as to his galloping ability in the novice event last Saturday, as his bridle slipped back on to his neck. However, on his track work the opposition at Tauherenikau would have to be very weak for him to collect.

Lacquer is now back to her best form and that hard race she experienced at Hastings when running a narrow second to Sardius was just what she wanted to bring her to concert pitch. On the first day at Wairarapa she will have the confidence of Hastings track watchers, especially if Geitel is reserved for the hack mile.-

Big Dook and Pladie will do battle for this district in the Easter Handicap. Big Dook was perhaps just a little lucky to share the major honours with Pladie-in the H.B. Cup. H. Young rode a perfect race on Big Dook, whereas B.H. Morris was most desperate on Pladie at the finish, hitting him so hard that he flinched once or twice in the last fifty ;yards, thus robbing him of perhaps' a clear-cut victory. Dook is at best over a mile, and taking a guide on the H.B. Cup running Pladie should be the tougher in the Wairarapa Easter.

Silver River and Gay Hunter are useful second-graders among the juveniles but have not shown the form of the Trentham-trained Deficit, who should hold the Bay youngsters safe the first day. ■

Speed won at Pahiatua, but what did he beat? He looks as well as ever, but as a galloper he is on the down grade, although still a force to be considered among mediocre class. He appears to be set a stiff task in having to give away nearly a stone to the like of the improving Erua.

A mare from the Bay who is due to pop up any day is Royal Solo. She is only a moderate, but she is fighting fit and condition often wins. This black mare will disappoint her party should she fail to pay expenses on the trip. Seven from here are definitely making the trip to Feilding. Journet is at the top of his-form, but he is apt to "go off the deep end" any time. At Hastings his trainer and rider were the best part of half an hour in trying to persuade him to go into the birdcage. Eventually he was taken out on to the track through a side gate and led to the starting post. He won well, but he will have to do better to concede weight to that promising hurdler Clarion Call at Feilding.

After he won at Napier Ben Braggie was very sore and the paddock was his address for a week. • Due to that interruption in training he may possibly be below his best on Saturday. To all outward appearances Hunting Cat has fully recovered from his mishap at Wellington, but in his work he has been very slow over the first furlong or so. The turning track at Feilding, together with the short straight, may tell against this longstriding gelding on Saturday. Royal Banquet has been accepted for in both the Cup and the middle-dis : tance hack race. He may not be class enough in the former race, but in the hack event is sure to go a great race, as he is right back to his best form. This district holds a fairly strong hand in the Taonui Nursery Handicap with Candico and Sardius. Over the same distance at Awapuni recently Candico won smartly, and as she has done all that has been asked of her in the interim she is sure to command attention. Sardius showed an abundance of speed at Hastings when winning, and now over half a furlong less will be even better suited. He is still "green," and for that reason Candico may prove the better on the day * Passion Flower ran a fine race in the H.B. Cup for nine furlongs. This mare is one of the lean kind and may not appeal to some in the birdcage, but what beats her in the Halcombe Handicap at Feilding will know they have been to the races.