Matthew Cameron and Hasselhoof
Trish Dunell
A potent combination will again command the undivided attention of punters at Ruakaka on Saturday.
Champion jockey Matthew Cameron has long had a formidable strike rate riding for trainers Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs and the Karaka hoop is set to star in her colours this weekend.
"Donna has been an amazing supporter of mine and we've had a great run with horses like Volkstok'n'barrell and Hasselhoof in the last couple of years and I was unbeaten on Habibi earlier on," Cameron said.
"It's always a little bit quiet for their team at the start of winter, but then these Ruakaka meetings start rolling around and they always seems to get one of those good ones coming through about now."
Cameron has three rides for Logan and Gibbs at Ruakaka and each has strong winning claims.
Fortius looks poised to clear maiden grade in the third race, the Advance Build ITM North 1600, while promising juvenile Bruce Arthur looks a strong chance of going one better than his debut second in the next race, the Tavistock Syndicate Owners 1000.
The combination also has an excellent chance of taking out the feature Northpine Waipu Cup (1600m) with To Be Sure, another who resumed with a second placing last start.
"I've ridden him quite a few times now and won a couple on him. I tend to share the riding on him with Sam Collett and I've got the job this week," Cameron said.
"He went well the other day and he should be a good chance. Bruce Arthur got beaten by a decent horse first-up, but he looks a horse on the way up too - and I saw him that day he ran second and he really looks the part too.
"Donna said she thought I'd suit Fortius too. He needs that bit of bullying to bring out his best and he looks like he'll be hard to beat on his run the other day."
Cameron last week conceded the premiership to arch rival Lisa Allpress, confirming he had a holiday for Hawaii booked for later this month, but that hasn't taken anything away from another impressive season for the Taranaki-born jockey.
A bag of four wins at Matamata on Wednesday took his season tally to 150, the third time he has reached that mark for a season, a feat he shares with Lance O'Sullivan.
It also took his tally for the past five seasons past 750 wins, having fought out each of respective premierships, pipped by Opie Bosson then Allpress before winning the past two.
"It's been a great year. I've been able to tick off a few milestones. I got my first Group One win for Te Akau and then ended the season with four for them, with Xtravagant's two, Risque and Heroic Valour - and I was able to post 1000 wins in New Zealand," he said.
"There were some difficult parts, with that whole inquiry about my ride on Mime, but there have been plenty of positives, especially with Xtravagant and Hasselhoof. Xtravagant is easily the best horse I've ever ridden and I'd love to keep the ride for his upcoming spring campaign in Melbourne." - NZ Racing Desk.
Champion jockey Matthew Cameron has long had a formidable strike rate riding for trainers Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs and the Karaka hoop is set to star in her colours this weekend.
"Donna has been an amazing supporter of mine and we've had a great run with horses like Volkstok'n'barrell and Hasselhoof in the last couple of years and I was unbeaten on Habibi earlier on," Cameron said.
"It's always a little bit quiet for their team at the start of winter, but then these Ruakaka meetings start rolling around and they always seems to get one of those good ones coming through about now."
Cameron has three rides for Logan and Gibbs at Ruakaka and each has strong winning claims.
Fortius looks poised to clear maiden grade in the third race, the Advance Build ITM North 1600, while promising juvenile Bruce Arthur looks a strong chance of going one better than his debut second in the next race, the Tavistock Syndicate Owners 1000.
The combination also has an excellent chance of taking out the feature Northpine Waipu Cup (1600m) with To Be Sure, another who resumed with a second placing last start.
"I've ridden him quite a few times now and won a couple on him. I tend to share the riding on him with Sam Collett and I've got the job this week," Cameron said.
"He went well the other day and he should be a good chance. Bruce Arthur got beaten by a decent horse first-up, but he looks a horse on the way up too - and I saw him that day he ran second and he really looks the part too.
"Donna said she thought I'd suit Fortius too. He needs that bit of bullying to bring out his best and he looks like he'll be hard to beat on his run the other day."
Cameron last week conceded the premiership to arch rival Lisa Allpress, confirming he had a holiday for Hawaii booked for later this month, but that hasn't taken anything away from another impressive season for the Taranaki-born jockey.
A bag of four wins at Matamata on Wednesday took his season tally to 150, the third time he has reached that mark for a season, a feat he shares with Lance O'Sullivan.
It also took his tally for the past five seasons past 750 wins, having fought out each of respective premierships, pipped by Opie Bosson then Allpress before winning the past two.
"It's been a great year. I've been able to tick off a few milestones. I got my first Group One win for Te Akau and then ended the season with four for them, with Xtravagant's two, Risque and Heroic Valour - and I was able to post 1000 wins in New Zealand," he said.
"There were some difficult parts, with that whole inquiry about my ride on Mime, but there have been plenty of positives, especially with Xtravagant and Hasselhoof. Xtravagant is easily the best horse I've ever ridden and I'd love to keep the ride for his upcoming spring campaign in Melbourne." - NZ Racing Desk.
