GILDCHASE LOOKS LIKE BEING USEFUL HANDICAPPER

Wanganui Chronicle, 4 May 1948, Page 3

GILDCHASE LOOKS LIKE BEING USEFUL HANDICAPPER

Judging by the manner in which he was finishing on over the final furlong to win the Mcßae Handicap, principal event at Hawera on Saturday, Gildchase looks like proving one of the handicap finds of the season. It was his first win in open company and his third of the season, and as he had only once been placed in his eight previous starts, it was not surprising that his supporters secured a double-figure dividend.

Gildchase is a three-year-old brown gelding by Wild Chase from the Koatanui-bred Limond —Commerce mare Bourse, and he is raced by Mr. E. M. Langley, of Pakowhai. Hastings, for whom he is trained by K. C'ouper. Incidentally, Couper also trains Olympia, surprise winner of the Juvenile Handicap, the preceding event, and both winners were ridden by the promising apprentice J Moore, who was associated with the wins of Emerge and Langspiel at the recent Awapuni meeting. Gildchase was confidently and capably ridden by young Moore, who allowed him to settle down over the initial stages after having started from a fairly wide position at the barrier. At the six fur.ongs he had moved up to be lying sixth, and he was content to follow the leading bunch to the home turn, even though Mister Beau, Dunbar and Atomic, three well-fancied candidates, had run past to put in their claims. It was over the final furlong that Gildchase commenced a telling run which carried him up to Mister Beau and Atomic and enabled him to beat the latter by half a length. The Wild Chase gelding is again engaged in the Davidson Handicp, the main flat event next Saturday, when the meeting concludes. He carried 7.0 last Saturday and will have 7.8 in the Davidson Handicap, but the weights have been framed on a lower scale, and Night Charm, who finished fourth with 7.12, now comes In at 7.9, meeting Gildchase on 91b better terms.

At the commencement of the season Gildchase finished third in the Awanui Hack Handicap at Hastings, that event being over a mile and a-quarter At his seventh start he finished a poor fifth in the Hawke’s Bay Guineas, but a couple of weeks later he won the Blairlogie Highweight at Masterton. Gildchase was taken up north for the Avondale meeting in November and won the Members’ Hack Handicap (one mile). Since then a fourth placing at the Waipa meeting was the best he could do prior to Saturday’s success. More will be heard of this promising Wild Chase three-year-old, who is another good advertisement for New Zealand-bred sires.