A bargain buy for Ruakaka trainer Donna Logan produced a massive dividend for her owners at Ellerslie on Sunday.
That was when Candle In The Wind scored a handsome victory in the $100,000 Windsor Park Stud Karaka Stayers Cup in the hands of visiting Sydney jockey Hugh Bowman.
Logan was naturally thrilled with the win although she admitted the mare’s preparation for the event hadn’t been ideal.
“She went a good race in the Rich Hill Mile but I wasn’t sure about stepping her up to 2200 metres for this one,” she admitted after the race.“I was also worried that she might end up as topweight in the event but when Deane Martin was an acceptor it brought her weight down to 56kgs which was very helpful.
“She has always shown us she wanted to get over ground so I was confident the distance would suit but once she got such a good trip during the run my confidence rose and in the end Hugh did a super job.“It’s just fantastic to win a race on Karaka Million night especially with a mare we bought from the sales.”
Sydney rider Hugh Bowman was equally pleased with the win and noted the mare would derive added benefit from a surface with a little more give in it.“She’s only a little thing but she travelled up nicely and I got into a good position as we got to the home corner,” he said.
“She really let down well although she was a little green in the straight which I think might have been caused by the firm track as she definitely feels like she would be even stronger with some cut in the track.”Runner-up Blizzard was game in defeat in his first race since finishing fourth in the Gr. 3 New Zealand Cup while Chipandchase made good ground late in the piece for third.
