Sad day for two Winton trainers after horses die

Two Winton-trained horses died in separate incidents at the Timaru race meeting on Friday.

Owner-trainer Greg Wright won the first race with Point Proven but midway through the programme, his other horse, Payment Pending, was put down after falling and breaking a leg in a steeplechase.

One of Point Proven’s rivals, Beethoven, trained by Leda Beck, collapsed and died just before entering the barrier.

Payment Pending was challenging the leader, Tai Ho, going into the last jump but misjudged it and fell. His jockey, James Seivwright, was not injured.

‘‘There were a lot of tears . . . on the way home in the truck we were still crying,’’ Wright said. ‘‘These things test your resolve to stay in the racing game.’’

Payment Pending was a lovely horse to have in the stable, Wright said. The trainer works a small team of horses with help from his wife Emma.

They sent Payment Pending and Point Proven to a North Island trainer for jumps education earlier this year.

Beck suspects Beethoven had a heart attack. She is thankful it didn’t happen during the race when other horses and riders could have been brought down.

‘‘These things can happen in racing,’’ Beck said.

As well as Point Proven’s success, Southland horses gained two other wins at the meeting. Tai Ho won the steeplechase for Knapdale trainer Ellis Winsloe and Regent Street scored an upset victory from Amanda Schwarz’s Ascot Park stable.