Hunta Pence, preparing for Saturday’s Awapuni Gold Cup, provided the star performance at this morning’s Hastings track session with a strong solo gallop over 1000m.
Fast work was confined to the plough which provided good footing.
Hunta Pence work in from the 1000m peg in 1:03.9, running the first 400m in 27.4 before quickening over the last 600 in 36.5.
The No Excuse Needed gelding last raced in a 1400m open sprint at Hastings on March 3. He was an impressive trial winner over 1400m at Foxton on Tuesday of last week and looks fit and ready for Saturday’s 2000m Group 3 event. Darryl Bradley will again ride him.
Shezzacatch, another likely starter at Awapuni on Saturday, was let off with a 1000m at three-quarter pace, coming home her last 600m in 45.8. She hasn’t raced since December but is another who had a trial at Foxton last week and resumes in the three-year-old race over 1200m. In-form jockey Craig Grylls has the mount.
Kuasa Kuda, one of several Hastings-trained horses who missed out on a start at Sunday’s abandoned Tauherenikau meeting, worked on his own over 1000m in 1:13.9, the last 600 in 40.9. He will contest a maiden 1600m race at Awapuni on Saturday, an additional event on the programme.
The Stoney One and a Super Easy three-year-old gelding worked together over 800m in 57.8, the last 600 in 43.7. The Stoney One was another impressive trial winner at Foxton last week and will probably make his race debut in a two-year-old race over 1200m at Wanganui on Thursday of next week.
No Rock No Pop ran a solo 800m in 53.8, the last 600 in 39.2 and she will probably have a jumpout at Waipukurau next Wednesday in preparation for a return to racing at the Hawke’s Bay meeting on April 17.
Call Me Jack, who could race at either Awapuni this Saturday or Wanganui next week, was let off with an easy 1000m in 1:14.7, the last 600 in 44.2. Trainer Tim Symes has been waiting for the tracks to become wet for the Jakkalberry gelding.
Basarwa was another who was kept under a good hold when running a solo 800m in 58.9, the last 600 in 42.9. He finished a close second in a 1000m trial at Foxton last week and is set to resume in a Rating 65 race over 1400m at Otaki on April 15.
Pablo Esk worked in from the 800m peg and ran home the last 600m in 40.5. He was turned out for a spell after contracting a virus and is likely to resume at the Hawke’s Bay meeting on April 17.
A Savabeel-Misspro O’Reilly three-year-old gelding the in the Lowry/Cullen stable ended his work with 600m in 40.2 while a Darci Brahma two-year-old and one by Super Easy from the same stable ran an easy 800m in 55.6, the last 600 in 40.4.
My Tommy was kept under a string hold over 1000m in 1:16.3, the last 600 in 44.3 while One Prize One Goal ran 800m on his own in 58.9.
A Reliable Man three-year-old filly and a Tavistock three-year-old gelding, both in the Lowry/Cullen stable, clocked 57.2 for an easy 800m, the last 600 in 41.8 while a Swiss Ace three-year-old gelding and a Niagara four-year-old gelding ran over the same ground in 58.2, the final 600 in 41.1.