Racing: Second meeting gone with wind

Strong wind blowing sand on to the Ruakaka track has forced the Whangarei Racing Club to move tomorrow's meeting to Avondale. Photo / File

A road sweeper was not enough to stop tomorrow's Whangarei Racing Club meeting from being moved to Auckland's Avondale track.

Remedial work to increase the size of the race course and the size of the training track on the inside of the course proper, from the 800m to the entrance of the home straight began a month ago.

But horrific westerly winds blew sand from the middle of the course across the racing track.

It caused the abandonment of the last meeting which was to be on October 2, after senior jockeys and race officials decided the sand blown on to the track would be detrimental to racing.

It has been all systems go by track staff and the racing club committee to prepare the racing surface for Wednesday but Mother Nature hasn't playing her part.

The first job for track staff after the abandonment was to move the inside running rail four metres out around the home bend to avoid the blown sand. A wooden shield was placed to stop any more sand blowing under and across the track.

Club president Dean Logan said the repair worked well - until the winds returned.

"What has happened is the sand has blown in behind the wooden barrier and built up behind it and now is blowing again over the top on to the track," he said.

Dean and Donna Logan have 10 runners engaged at the meeting and are confident they can saddle a few winners on the seven-race card.

In race two Stacked has no form to recommend but Dean Logan said the step up to a middle distance will help.

"The slower tempo of a 2100m race will suit her," he said.

Radar will be very hard to beat in race three.

"He has pushed some very good horses close recently," Logan said. "He is carrying topweight but with apprentice Michael Dee claiming a 3kg allowance it will be a big help."

The Logans have four runners in race four, Stand Your Ground, Zest Princess, Rising Romance and Dwandaofu.

"Stand Your Ground and Zest Princess have been to the races and shown ability," Dean Logan said.

"They are ready for big efforts. We have been patient with Rising Romance, she won a trial last season and we turned her out and she is ready for a bold debut.

"Dwandaofu has been working well."

If you wondered about Dwandaofu's name, think of one of Elvis Presley's top hits [The Wonder Of You].

"There are a couple of owners in the horse who think they can sing like Elvis," Logan said.

Kendoka will race for the stable in race five.

"She has been ready to go for a while now and ran a sound trial at Avondale recently," Logan said.

Big Voices will run in race six.

"She has been running in strong races and the 1600m will be ideal," Logan said.

Flint Zest and Rocknrolla will represent the stable in race seven.

"They both show plenty of promise and won't be maidens for long," Logan said.