Pacorus heading south for cup bid
THE New Zealand Cup is the short-term aim for the exciting Pacorus after he won the Egmont Cup at Hawera yesterday.
The 5-year-old son of Tavistock made it five wins from his last six starts when he held off Pump Up The Volume to win the $35,000 2100m race on a track that was bordering on heavy.
‘‘He’s worked good, he’s a nice horse and Victoria [Gatu] rode him really nicely,’’ Wood said.
‘‘I always like to reward people who put a bit of effort in and she has done that around the stable.’’
Gatu came off the fence in the home straight for the first time and gave Pacorus a cosy run for most of the way before she hit the lead early in the straight.
While Pump Up The Volume looked to make a race of it 200m out, Gatu gave her mount a couple of slaps on the shoulder and a couple behind and he just kept cruising to the line.
Pacorus has stepped up well over the last couple of months having won the Interprovincial at New Plymouth on August 20.
While he had a failure next start he came back at Ellerslie last start to win.
The scratching of Maygrove helped Pump Up The Volume as he only had to carry 57kg in the handicap while the winner had 55.5kg.
Pacorus is likelt to start over a mile at Te Rapa on Labour Day before he heads south.
‘‘He’s a nice stayer and we haven’t had one for a while,’’ Wood said. ● Five To Midnight looks a stayer to follow this preparation following his perfect return to racing yesterday.
He drew serious attention to his future prospects with a comprehensive defeat of his Rating 75 rivals in the Andersons Pies 1600.
“He has come back very well,” rider Darryl Bradley said. “He has strengthened and improved ability-wise.”
Bradley has been the regular rider of the Lisa Latta-trained gelding and last season they beat the older horses over ground before finishing second in the Listed New Zealand St Leger and in the Manawatu Classic behind subsequent Livamol Classic runner-up Humidor.
Five To Midnight was put aside after an unplaced run in the Championship Stakes at Ellerslie, where he was hampered by a fallen runner.
“I didn’t expect him to win, so to do what he’s done today shows how good he is,” Bradley said.