Valley Girl
Trish Dunell
Donna Logan is hoping to light up Group One racing on both sides of the Tasman this weekend.
The Northland trainer will shoot for her second Australian Oaks (2400m) in the space of two years when she saddles Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes winner and last-start Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes runner-up Valley Girl in the three-year-old fillies' Classic at Randwick.
Closer to home, Logan and co-trainer Chris Gibbs will produce Candle In The Wind in the Gr.1 Fiber Fresh New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1600m) at Te Aroha.
Logan was chuffed with Valley Girl's run in the Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill a fortnight ago and was expecting a similar effort in the Oaks.
"It was a super run and she's come through it really well. She's really taken that next step up, I feel," Logan said.
"She's settled into the place like she's been here forever and her work has been magnificent. She's eating, she's bright and she's really well. She had a good blow after that first run over here and she's indicated she's looking forward to getting over that extra 400m of the Oaks."
Valley Girl was aided by a superb Brett Prebble ride in the Vinery Stud Stakes, the Hong Kong-based Australian hoop pushing forward before handing up and taking a trail before she went down three-quarters of a length to Single Gaze.
Prebble retains the mount for the Oaks, which features fellow Kiwi fillies Capella, trained by Danica Guy and ridden by Opie Bosson, and Sofia Rosa, prepared by Stephen Marsh and to be ridden by Hugh Bowman.
"The Kiwis have got a big chance in this again. Jameka deserves to be favourite, but it's not going to be easy for her backing up from the Derby last week," Logan said, before comparing Valley Girl favourably to her 2014 Australian Oaks winner Rising Romance.
"She's right there with Rising Romance. Barring bad luck, she's got a huge chance of being right in this."
Logan was happy with Darci Brahma mare Candle In The Wind ahead of the Te Aroha weight-for-age fillies and mares feature, saying that Gibbs had reported her to have trained on well since her first-up fourth in the Gr.2 Japan-New Zealand International Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga last month.
"The [heavy] track was against us and fitness told in the end," Logan said.
"It's unfortunate about the barrier for Saturday [barrier 12] but Chris says she has trained on well and he's happy with where she's at. It's a pretty good lineup but she always puts in her best and if she could finish in the first three, the Group One black-type would be fantastic for her breeding career later on." - NZ Racing Desk
The Northland trainer will shoot for her second Australian Oaks (2400m) in the space of two years when she saddles Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes winner and last-start Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes runner-up Valley Girl in the three-year-old fillies' Classic at Randwick.
Closer to home, Logan and co-trainer Chris Gibbs will produce Candle In The Wind in the Gr.1 Fiber Fresh New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1600m) at Te Aroha.
Logan was chuffed with Valley Girl's run in the Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill a fortnight ago and was expecting a similar effort in the Oaks.
"It was a super run and she's come through it really well. She's really taken that next step up, I feel," Logan said.
"She's settled into the place like she's been here forever and her work has been magnificent. She's eating, she's bright and she's really well. She had a good blow after that first run over here and she's indicated she's looking forward to getting over that extra 400m of the Oaks."
Valley Girl was aided by a superb Brett Prebble ride in the Vinery Stud Stakes, the Hong Kong-based Australian hoop pushing forward before handing up and taking a trail before she went down three-quarters of a length to Single Gaze.
Prebble retains the mount for the Oaks, which features fellow Kiwi fillies Capella, trained by Danica Guy and ridden by Opie Bosson, and Sofia Rosa, prepared by Stephen Marsh and to be ridden by Hugh Bowman.
"The Kiwis have got a big chance in this again. Jameka deserves to be favourite, but it's not going to be easy for her backing up from the Derby last week," Logan said, before comparing Valley Girl favourably to her 2014 Australian Oaks winner Rising Romance.
"She's right there with Rising Romance. Barring bad luck, she's got a huge chance of being right in this."
Logan was happy with Darci Brahma mare Candle In The Wind ahead of the Te Aroha weight-for-age fillies and mares feature, saying that Gibbs had reported her to have trained on well since her first-up fourth in the Gr.2 Japan-New Zealand International Trophy (1600m) at Tauranga last month.
"The [heavy] track was against us and fitness told in the end," Logan said.
"It's unfortunate about the barrier for Saturday [barrier 12] but Chris says she has trained on well and he's happy with where she's at. It's a pretty good lineup but she always puts in her best and if she could finish in the first three, the Group One black-type would be fantastic for her breeding career later on." - NZ Racing Desk