Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
Sam Logan got off the mark for the season with a double over the weekend and is looking forward to the return of the promising Woodloveto later this year.
The Cambridge trainer prepared Lambrusco to win the final race at New Plymouth on Saturday, a Rating 65 2000m, and a day later she headed to Te Aroha for National Jumps Day and gained a deserved maiden hurdles win with Henry Tudor and a third in the other maiden hurdles with Lacustre.
“Lambrusco mixes his form and it was hard to know how good he’ d go on Saturday, but back to maidens I thought Henry Tudor was a big chance,” she said.
“It was good to get on the board with the wins, but I won’t have much more racing for a while.
“Those three are going out for a spell and the only one I’ve got ready to race right now is Our Katy Cruz, who will run at Te Awamutu (next Sunday). She’ll be a good chance.
“It’ll be good to get Woodloveto back. I think he’s a really good horse.”
Woodloveto created a favourable impression last season when winning three times and placed twice from just seven starts.
The Redwood gelding ended his campaign with successive staying wins in the autumn, scoring over 2200m at Rotorua last March then over 2500m at Hastings a month later.
“He came back in and did six weeks, but then he had some swelling on a hock and he ended up with a chip removed,” Logan said.
“Until then we were aiming to get him up for the Wellington Cup this season, but he won’t make that now.
“He’s gone to the water treadmill for four weeks then he’ll be back in the stable. We’ll make plans for him then.”
Logan will be supplementing her income in the downtime of her racing squad with pre-training, but she is excited about the long-range prospects, particularly when the next jumps season gets underway, even though that might seem so far away with the current jumps term just ended.
“All going well, I’ll have some nice jumpers for next year,” she said.
“Ngatira Gold and Zamora will be back and so will Henry Tudor and Lacustre. I’ll also be getting Lambrusco’s jumping ticket. He’s been jumping since he was a two-year-old and he goes well.
“I’m also looking forward to getting Lacustre over the Ellerslie hill next year. He went well on Sunday and he loves Ellerslie.”
Lacustre’s forte is steeplechasing and last winter he won over the Ellerslie country by 20 lengths after a second over the same course and distance to the subsequent Waikato Steeplechase (3900m) winner Max.
Victorian jumps jockey Lee Horner was successful on Henry Tudor, who capped off six placings including five seconds over hurdles.
While pleased with Horner’s handling of Henry Tudor on Sunday, Logan was especially thrilled with the winning performance of Cambridge apprentice Ashvin Goindasamy aboard Lambrusco on Saturday.
“Ashvin rode him beautifully,” Logan said. “He’s been coming and riding some work for me and it’s good to reward him with a win.” – NZ Racing Desk