Racing: Ohoka Texas to miss Cup

Ohoka Texas has bypassed the Westport Cup on Monday to avoid the possibility of a heavy track.

"We felt it would be asking too much of him if the track became heavy," Katie Carville, his part-owner, said from New York yesterday.

"He will have a trial and go to the Pelorus Classic."

The $40,000 Pelorus Classic for 4-year-olds is at the Marlborough meeting on January 15.

Ohoka Texas advanced his record to nine wins from 17 starts when he won the Wairio Cup at Winton last Saturday in 2.57.7 for the 2400m, 0.5sec outside the track record. He has won three of his four starts this season since joining the Burnham stable of Mark Jones.

Jaccka Justy, a runaway winner at Winton, has a $9000 free-for-all at Omakau on January 2 as his next assignment. Jaccka Justy has won five times since he began racing 12 months ago. He has had four wins from as many starts when trained by part-owner Charlie Smaill on his farm near Riversdale.

Jaccka Justy won first up when trained by Nathan Williamson but performed badly at his next start and he was returned to Smaill.