Racing: Donna Logan big spender at Karaka

Donna Logan

Ruakaka trainer Donna Logan laid out plenty of cash at the annual yearling sale at Karaka but her reputation as an astute judge of racehorses means the Logan Racing Stable won't be out of pocket for long.

Logan bought eight horses for more than $500,000 at the three-day sale, making her the leading overall buyer, but interest from people wanting shares in the purchases has been intense since the event wrapped up.

"I bought all these horses without having an order, the orders come afterwards and people take shares, if nobody wants them, tough, they're mine but I don't mind because I like them and there is plenty of time to sell them later, once I've got them up and going," Logan said.

More than half of her biggest purchase at Karaka, a colt by Tavistock out of Madame Forli, bought for $150,000, has already been sold and the other horses - all colts - ranging upwards in price from $26,000 have also gone out the door quickly.

"Redwood Romantically has all gone and 50 per cent of Redwood For Love, there is only 40 per cent left of Red Giant Telepathy left, the Uncle Mo and the Pour Moi have gone and the Dalghar has sold too," she said.

Much of the interest has been from established clients of Logan Racing but the trainer was surprised at the number of new clients - many of whom who had approached her at the sale.

"I think it's because we've had a pretty good record with what we've bought previously and, while in the past we haven't had a lot of money to do it, this year we had more funds behind us and that's made it a little biteasier," Logan said.

Resale value is important but she tries to keep 10 to 20 per cent of most of the horses she buys.

"I've already found that with these (yearling) horses, I'm going to have to reduce that to 10 per cent because people want shares," she said.

Her success on the track has obviously paid off, too, with a good day at the Karaka Millions night at Ellerslie last week, with wins for Candle In The Wind in $100,000 Windsor Park Stud Karaka Stayers Cup and another of Tavistock's sons, Volkstock'n'barrell, in the $100,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Karaka Three Year-old Mile.

Interest in the stable from across the Tasman remains high, particularly with Volkstock'n'barrell's recent part-sale to an Australian stud, which boosted confidence in the Logan Racing brand generally.

"It's huge advertising ... and it shows that working hard for what you believe in after all those years really does pay off."

The stable is training upwards of 45 horses, keeping Logan busy.

"But we do it because we love it and we're proud to put Ruakaka and Northland on the (racing) map."

New Zealand Derby Day, with Volkstock'n'barrell favourite in the main event, could be the next major curtain call for Logan and her partners.