POURI’S CAREER

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 400, 14 July 1928, Page 6

POURI’S CAREER

PROMISE FOR FUTURE HAS DONE LITTLE RACING Pouri, the winner of the Wellington steeplechase, was bred by the owner Mr. D. H. Matthews, who is well known in Taranaki, having been a resident of Waitara until a few years ago (writes a New Plymouth critic). His dam (Koiwi) is by Demosthenes from the Boyne. She showed great promise on the tracks and was expected to develop into a good performer, but she was attacked by a skin disease, and it was decided to retire her to the stud. She was put to that fine sire of cross-country horses, Spalpeen, and Pouri was her first foal. He was not asked to race as either a two or three-year-old, but was schooled over small fences before being actually put into training. Setting Out On a Career

Pouri first came into prominence as a four-year-old by winning a double at the Waikato Hunt meeting. Afterwards he developed wind troubles and was operated upon. That the operation was successful he soon demonstrated by winning the hurdle race on the opening day of the Waikato .Racing Club s spring meeting, and then again accounting for the double at the Waikato Hunt. In his second start here he was ridden by his owner, who is no mean amateur rider. On one occasion he rode his own horse (Rua) to victory in the North Taranaki Hunt Cup. If the writer recollects rightly, Rua fell, but Matthews remounted him and then won.

After these successes Pouri ran a first and a second at Feilding and competed successfully at the Manawatu meeting. He was then given an easy time and prepared for the winter season. He competed at Wanganui both days and, though he was third in the Century Hurdles, liis form was not impressive and his showing in the Great Northern Hurdles was almost too bad to bo true.

When he was produced in the Great Northern Steeplechase he was allowed to go out at long odds. 'Despite *he fact that this was his first attempt over the big country he ran a surprisingly good race, and, with half a mile to go, looked the most likely one to trouble Glendowie, but the second fence at the top of the hill proved his undoing. (Here the Taranaki writer is romancing!) He was again produced in the Winter Steeples, but was feeling the effects of his racing, and though he completed the course, he never really looked a winner, finishing fifth.

Pouri was again raced at the Te Kuiti meeting, where h© finished second to Star of the East, but he conceded that horse nearly two stone. On the second day he had the Maniapoto Steeplechase won a long way from home, eventually winning in a canter. He improved on that again when he easily accounted for the Wellington event, in record time.