RACING General Gilbert Fit For Waikouaiti

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31004, 9 March 1966, Page 5

RACING General Gilbert Fit For Waikouaiti

General Gilbert raised hopes for a Riccarton victory in the Waikouaiti Cup when he ran a mile brilliantly on his home track yesterday.

General Gilbert showed he had thrived since racing well at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s summer meeting last month by running a mile in 1:42 1-5 on the trial grass.

The two-year-oW Agrippa joined in halfway through the gallop and the stablemates recorded 51 for the last halfmile. General Gilbert won the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Midsummer Handicap with 7.12 (7.7 minimum) and ran second under 8.4 to Red Siren (7.12) on the second day of the meeting. General Gilbert has 8.3 in the Waikouaiti Cup, in which the scale is 31b lower. Good Form Agrippa seems assured of favouritism for the Centennial Plate at Waikouaiti after two seconds behind Tadic at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting. The stablemates and halfbrothers, Shipmate and Hushaway, will also be fit runners at Waikouaiti. Yesterday Shipmate (Stokes) hurried over six furlongs in 1.13 4-5, the last half-mile in 49 3-5. and Hushaway. also with Stokes up, recorded 2.0 3-5 for nine furlongs, 1.46 for the last mile, and 49 2-5 for the last half-mile. Hushaway’s summer form has been more solid than Shipmate’s and he may take beating in the Waikouaiti Cup if he get firm footing. His latest test at a mite and a quarter was in the C.J.C. Provincial Handicap on February 8. He came from last for third behind Red Siren and General Gilbert. Promising Coseta (Hadfield) and Tsunami (Gullery) sprinted six furlongs in 1.16 4-5, the last four in 52 3-5. Coseta shaped like an early winner when second behind the good performer, Pharasal, at Riccarton on February 8.

He is another member of a useful team to represent J. L. Barr’s stable at Waikouiiti. Gingerbread (Tucker) dashed in from the half-mile in 49 4-5. She has been entered for Oamaru, and should be a

match for the best of the novices there if she has average luck in her races. Allegretto (Drummond) and Faraday (C. T. Wilson) sprinted their half-mile in 51 1-5. Fair Gap (Swanson) recorded 51 3-5.