GOLD WREN AND PONIARD

Southland Times, Issue 23795, 18 April 1939, Page 10

GOLD WREN AND PONIARD

Failures At Riverton Meeting FORM OF SILVER CHOIR Acceptances for the first day of the South Canterbury meeting close on Friday. Improved Moonraider has been facing solidly in recent starts and the Nitffit Raia filly is likely to be in favour when produced at the Clifden meeting this week. Still a Hack Although he beat an open sprint field the last day at Riverton Waitoru has been nominated for the hack faces at the South Canterbury meeting. Waitoru’s Riverton win was only his second to date and he still has some way to go before be graduates from the hack ranks. Silver Choir’s Win A high opinion has always been held of Silver Choir, and he gave a taste of his class when he beat a novice held at Riverton. It was his first start since joining up with G. A. McKay s Wingatui team and he was a greatly improved horse in appearance. Silver Choir had done a good amount of work on the plough and he has only to stand up to a preparation to win further The easing tracks from now on should be to his liking. In New Quarters It is reported that Aranui has been sold by P. T. Hogan and will in future carry the colours of Mr J. Richardson, of Dunedin. In all his races Aranui has given the impression that he will stay to advantage later on. It is likely that he will join J. C. Tomkmson s team. z Champion Hack Winner Survoy, the surprise winner of the Southern Champion Hack Handicap at Riverton last week, has been nominated for the Timaru Cup and to race over hurdles at the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting next week. Hunting Chorus With the sting out of the track's from now on Hunting Chorus is one likely to show up at coming meetings. The Hunting Song gelding beat a useful field of hack sprinters the final day at Riverton and he appears to be a better horse now than at any stage of his career. Well Related A rising two-year-old by Blatherskite from March Off, the dam of Gold Boa, Disband, and others, is shortly to join W. E. Hancock’s team at Wingatui, as is also a rising three-year-old filly by Paladin from a Martian mare. Travenna W. Hancock has been awiting for softer tracks to school Travenna, over hurdles, and it was on account or lack of schooling that he did not nominate him for the Timaru meeting this month. With a light boy up, Travenna sprinted home ove'r there furlongs on the plough track in 41 2-ssec during the week. Treble Winners Reference was made in yesterday’s issue to treble jumping winners, following Black Banner’s fine performance at the recent Riverton meeting. Besides French Fleet and Glendowie, at the 1935 winter meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club Mr W. E. Hazlett's Graball won the three principal steeplechases.. The first day he carried 9.10 to win the Otago Steeplechase, 10.8 in the Wingatui Steeplechase and 11.4 in the Dunedin Steeplechase. On each occasion he was ridden by A. J. Peart, now located as a trainer at Riverton. May Be Destroyed Windsor Lad, winner of the St. Leger and Derby in 1934. may have to be destroyed. It is feared that he has a tumor on the brain. A delicate operation performed recently failed to reveal the seat of the trouble. The illness developed last September. After treatment he appeared to be making a good recovery, but he had a relapse toward the end of the year. Windsor Lad was purchased from the Maharajah of Rajpipla for £50,000 by Mr Martin Benson. Gold Wren and Poniard Excuses are being made for the failures of Gold Wren and Poniard at Riverton and the opinion has been expressed in one quarter that the Riverton country was too light for such seasoned jumpers. There will be many who will disagree with these views. When he fell in the Great Western Steeplechase Gold Wren appeared a beaten horse, but on the third day he fell on the flat. Poniard fell in each of his three starts and it appeared that he was not sufficiently seasoned for the Riverton country. May Be Retired Oratory probably had her last race when she finished second to last in the Easter Handicap at Feilding, a result not entirely unexpected after the way she pulled up after the Feilding Cup. She was then decidedly sore. Oratory, who listed the Great Northern Oaks in race record time among her many victories, won over a mile at Trentham in Imin 36sec, with 9.4 on her back. That equalled the New Zealand record established a month before by Courtcraft at Ellerslie, but since broken by Smoke Screen. As well, she shares with Reremoana and Autopay the race record of Imin 37Jsec in the Thomson Handicap.