WITHDRAWAL OF TOP ROW

Southland Times, Issue 23782, 1 April 1939, Page 10

WITHDRAWAL OF TOP ROW

Rifle Range Has Improved V. LANGFORD TO RIDE BLACK BANNER Nominations for the Clifden meeting close on Tuesday. Boswell is spelling on his owner’s farm at Otautau.

Did Not Make Trip Asset did not made the trip south for the Riverton and Otautau meetings with other members of G. Ridgway’s team, at present located at Riverton. Silver Chon-

Silver Choir has done well since hewing trained at Wingatui and the Austra-lian-bred horse was not showing any signs of the soreness, which has continually troubled him, when produced at Riv'-ton yesterday. ■May Need a Race

Waitaka’s appearance gives the impression that he may require a race or two to sharpen him up and if he fails to show up in his early engagements, he should be prominent on later days at Riverton, as was the case last year.

Champion Hack Favourite Disband, who is to race on the two final days at the Riverton Easter meeting, was to arrive at Riverton yesterday afternoon. He is a firm favourite for the Southern Champion Hack Handicap on the second day.

Riding Engagements At Otautau today V. Langford has been engaged to ride Black Banner, G. Dempster will be on Corban and J. Richards on Rifle Range. Impel will be ridden by T. J. Boyle and Gold Wren, if started, by J. Murfitt.

Improved One of the most improved horses seen at Riverton yesterday was Rifle Range, who has galloped particularly well during the week. The Balboa gelding gave a splendid display of jumping in finishing second to Gold Wren and should not be long off the winning list. Poniard’s Progress

Poniard has trained on the right way since he won at the Birchwood meet-; ing last week. He will not be raced at Otautau today but will lack nothing on the score of condition when produced in the Great Western next Saturday. Top Row Withdrawn

Top Row has been scratched for all engagements at the Riverton meeting and will not be a starter in the Otautau Cup today. His owner, P. T. Hogan, was dissatisfied with the weight allotted him in the Riverton Cup. Hogan arrived at Riverton on Thursday evening with Double Gift and Doctor Duthie. McHeath

McHeath has been paid up for in both steeplechases on the first day of the Riverton meeting. He is likely to start in the Great Western, in which he will be ridden by A. M. Cassells. Out of Hacks

Although Lord Nuffield is not eligible for hack races at Riccarton, he can compete in this class at Riverton. Entries for the last-named meeting were taken before he won at Oamaru. Lord Nuffield’s mission at Riverton, if present intentions are adhered to, is the Southern Champion Hack Handicap.

Sound Again Tomcat has been on the easy list for a few weeks, and has made good progress, his legs appearing to be all right again. A. S. Ellis has resumed light exercise with the big Nightmarch gelding, and hopes to have his charge ready for a race at the South Canterbury meeting in May, as a preliminary to steeplechase engagements at the Dunedin Jockey Club’s June meeting. Defaulter Defaulter has come on well during the past week, and many eyes were on him as he strode along at three-quarter pace (says a Sydney paper of March 25). There is no doubt about his commanding appearance, and now that his coat carries the satin polish indicating fitness, it can easily be imagined what a great colt he has proved himself to be in the Dominion. In stature he towers over any of the Australian three-year-olds, and has a middlepiece equal to any weight. Australian Cup Winner Regarded as a hopeless case when first put into work, Pageant rewarded his trainer, F. W. Hoystead, for his perseveranace by winning the Australian Cup at Flemington from Dark David and Ortelle’s Star. Pageant suffers from chronic soreness and is still very “stilty” when he goes on the track, but improves as he warms up. Hoystead made no secret of the fact that he expected his charge to score in the longdistance Australian Cup, and claimed that he would have won the King’s Cup instead of finishing third, only that Bailey dropped his whip at the turn, as Pageant requires vigorous riding at the finish of a race. Trainers Annoyed Recently the chief Brisbane stipendiary steward, Mr Lynch, warned trainers that horses would not be allowed to be raced into condition, writes A. W. Dexter in The Sydney Sunday Sun. So the Queensland Breeders’, Owners’ and Trainers’ Association met, and this was its reply:—“That this association express its indignation at the edict about racing horses into condition; that members pay no heed to the utterance, but continue to race their horses as they deside and in events in which their horses are eligible; that members consider they are the best judges of training and racing their charges, and further believe they are quite capable of placing them in races without assistance from the stewards.” Defaulter’s Rival Since his conquest of Ajax, Spear Chief is being selected as Defaulter’s toughest opponent at Warwick Farm today. Spear Chief was outstanding in his own State as a three-year-old last season, winning among other races the Queensland Guineas, Queensland Derby, Queensland St. Leger, and Brisbane Cup. In the Brisbane Cup two miles, he carried 8.3 and beat a fairly strong field rather comfortably. This season he was transferred by his now owners, Messrs J. B. Charlton and J. Harris, the latter buying out a previous partner at a high price, to Sydney, • where he was linked up with G. Price’s team. Early last month he was stepped out among the sprinters to win the Flying Handicap at Rosehill, and then was sent to Melbourne, where he brought off a coup in the Woodcliff Handicap, 11 furlongs, on Futurity Stakes day. Spear Chief has 9.3 in the Sydney Cup.