RICCARTON TRIO FOR GORE

Southland Times, Issue 24353, 6 February 1941, Page 11

RICCARTON TRIO FOR GORE

Good Performances Of Skyrena PLACED 40 TIMES IN THREE YEARS The presence of three horses from the Riccarton stables of M. Conza at the Gore and Winton meetings this month will give added interest to those meetings. Skyrena, Philibun and Silver Night, all six-year-old mares, make up the team, and if past performances count for anything they should not return to Riccarton emptyhanded.

Skyrena, a mare by Sky BlueGobble, who has been placed 40 times in 74 starts in three seasons, may be looked upon as the bread-winner of the trio. She is a lightly-fleshed mare with a wonderful constitution and she appears to thrive on racing. In her first season, as a four-year-old, she started in 31 races and was placed 19 times, including seven firsts. Last year she had a similar number of races, being placed 16 times. Her record was seven firsts, six seconds and three thirds. Up to date this season she has had 12 starts for three seconds and two thirds.

Skyrena has just completed the West Coast circuit where she gained three minor placings. She had to. carry heavy weights in most of her outings and was unlucky more than once in being defeated by narrow margins. At Hokitika she failed by a head to overhaul Adina in the Thompson Memorial Handicap after putting in a solid finishing run. At Greymouth she was beaten into third place in the Brunner Handicap in a hrif-head finish, and at Reefton Rebel Chief had a head margin from her at the end of the Farewell Handicap. At Gore on Saturday Skyrena is in the Croydon Handicap (the open sprint) with 7.7 on her back. She will be ridden by C. T. Wilson and on recent form and known ability over the distance she must be given a good chance of success.

Philibun, a half-sister by Philamor to Roy Bun (Roydon-Baby Bun), raced consistently on the Coast circuit for a win, two seconds and a third. She has had 10 starts this season, but had not run into the money until she succeeded on the West Coast. She won three races last season. Silver Night (Nightmarch-Silver Cord), the third member of the Conza team, is a maiden who has yet to win a race. She has had four starts this season, but her only placed performance was a second to The Tryst in the Trial Stakes at Greymouth at New Year.

A Full Book I W. F. Ellis, the Invercargill apprentice, has a full book at the Gore meetI ing on Saturday. His mounts are Gold i Robe. Mona's Song, Royal Chorus, Royal Lancer and Susie. i Riccarton Jockeys For Gore ; Riccarton jockeys who will be riding I at Gore on Saturday and Monday inI elude J. W. Jennings, C. T. Wilson, L. IJ. Ellis and A. E. Ellis. Jennings’s I mounts include Philibun, Silver Night, i Doubleack and Aravane. Wilson has ! been engaged to ride Peony Rose and Skyrena and L. J. Ellis will probably ride Valcron and Craiglea. One of A. E. Ellis's mounts is Combat in the Gore Highwcight. Filibeg Filibeg, the smart Philamor threeI year-old in F. W. Ellis’s stable, will not be a starter at the Gore meeting. He ricked himself recently and has been I given a let-up in his work. i Lazybones For Riverton? I Lazybones, who has not raced since I he ran second to Combat at the Otago I Hunt meeting in August is in work again and is reported to be in good ' health. The Nigger Minstrel gelding is j to be prepared for autumn racing and I his programme may include the River--1 ton Cup. • Wild Coon j Wild Coon, the Nigger Minstrel-Miss I Redowa three-year-old gelding in R. E. McLellan’s stable, who has been paid I up for in the Longford Hack Handicap I at. Gore on Saturday, will be having his I first race since he ran second to AngloI Irish in the Stewart Island Handicap at i (he Southland meeting on November 25. ! Wild Coon has been started 11 times this season for one win and four minor ; placings. I Brackets At Gore ' The following horses will be bracketed on the totalizator at Gore on Saturday:— Electric Trot.—Bright Lass and Trej vathan; Burnham and Southern Change; Silk Banner and Polling Day. Progressive Trot.—Parole and Rey j Chimes; Aidus and Oregon; Bellond and i Melrose. Aravane's Trainer J. R. Cochrane, of Gore, trainer of Aravane, who won the Tapanui Handicap on Saturday was at one time Huntsman at Waimate. A Danger The danger of the premature publication of handicaps was never better illustrated than when Gay Parade ran second to Winning Rival in the Midsummer Handicap. That display of form was good enough to reduce the principal event at Gore to a walk-over, but, strange to relate, Gay Parade did not accept, comments “Sentinel” in The Otago Daily Times. A similar risk is taken by the declaration of weights for the Waikouaiti and Oamaru meetings before the racing at the Wingatui summer meeting. Gay Parade is well handicapped at Winton, but apaprently the southern trip is to be abandoned

All Well With Royal Chief There is nothing wrong with Royal Chief. F. D. Jones requested his owner to remove the horse from his stable. He was a good third in the Wellington Racing Club Handicap with 9.9, and fourth with 9.10 in the Summer Handicap, and has not displayed any loss of form, but has at times been a bit flattered by the handicapper. Mrs J. Campbell will have two in the Dunedin Cup as Wardress runs in her interests.

Leading Jockeys At the conclusion of last week’s racing in New Zealand, W. Broughton, although he did not improve his position, was 11 wins in front of H. Wiggins. L. J. Ellis did not have a win at Riccarton and the Avzapuni apprentice, D. Redstone, who had three successes at Wairoa, has displaced him in third place. Redsfone is apprenticed to L. G. Morris, and his performance in riding 27 winners for the first half of the racing season is outstanding. C. Wilson improved his placing by his three wins on Saturday, and is equal with P. Spratt, who did not have a win at either Trentham or Riccarton. The list of the lead-

ing horsemen is as follows:—W. Broughton 41, H. Wiggins 30, D. Redstone 27, L. J. Ellis 26, B. H. Morris 25, P. Spratt 21, C. Wilson 21, G. Tattersail 17, N. Howard 16, W. Mudford 16, A. Midwood 15, R. McTavish 15, E. Dye 14, P. Atkins 14, L. Hare 13, G. Cameron 13, W. F. Ellis 12, P. Burgess 12, R. Howell 11, K. Chote 11, H. Stewart 11, C. G. Goulsbro 10. H. Hibberd 10. A. Messervy 10. Radio Call

A. S. Ellis has found it necessary' to give the three-year-old, Radio Call, a rest. He got away from his rider before the start of the Trial Stakes at Christchurch on Saturday and galloped along the back of the course to the scarping sheds. He was quickly caught and in the race he was in the middle of the field all the way. Apparently, however, he got. into trouble, as one of his legs showed signs of swelling after the race. It looks as if he might need a long spell Sires Of Juveniles Leighon is the leading sire of two-year-olds in the Dominion so far this season, his progeny having won seven races, as follows:—Lady .Acora, Hopeful Stakes (Trentham), Marton Juvenile and Junction Plate (Marton), Soutane, Masterton Nursery Stakes, Pabiatua Nursery Handicap, and Pahiatua Juvenile Handicap (with 9-12); and Saint Tor, Hastings Stakes. Soutane, who holds the weight-carrying record for a two-year-old this season (9-12), also finished second in the Wellesley Stakes and another two-year-old by

Leighon who has been in the money is Leisurely. Next to Leighon as sires of two-year-olds are Vaals (Route March, four wins, and Panoni, two wins); Ringmaster (Par Avion, three wins, and The Whipper, two wins); Theio (Ex-Pupil, two wins, Salutation and Tetratina); Croupier (Pay Roll, four wins); Vermeer (El Maadi, Varuna and Vermette), and Paper Money (Monetary two wins, and Silver Lily), Leighon, whose oldest progeny are four-year-olds, was represented on Saturday at Wairoa by a winner in Roeon. a three-year-old from Lady Pym. Gloaming

Some interesting questions about the mighty Gloaming were asked recently and answered in The Timaru Herald. “Wager” asked: “On what track did Gloaming last appear in public? Did Sasanof beat Gloaming in a Derby? Is Gloaming alive?” The last two questions are answered first. Gloaming was never beaten in a Derby, and won three— Sydney, Riccarton, Auckland. He has been dead for some years. If the first question is not a trick one, any bet on it is unsatisfactory. Gloaming was “paraded” at Wingatui in Exhibition year, but did not race. His final appearance in a race was made at Hastings, when he defeated The Hawk in the Ormond Gold Cup.

Foxbridge Stock Foxbridge, who was represented at Riccarton on Saturday by Foxette, was responsible for something unusual in a £lOOO handicap when three of his stock —Lou Rosa, Cornish and Green Queen —filled all the places in the Takapuna Cup. Foxbridge is by Foxlaw (son of Son-in-Law) from Bridgemount by Bridge of Earn (by Cyllene) from Mountain Mint by Carbine’s son Spearmint.