Durham Town passes in big sprint test

Successful Ruakaka trainer Donna Logan describes Durham Town as "a horse to be in love with" after he won the Group II Aussie Butcher Concorde Handicap at Ellerslie.

The gelding by Falkirk out of Durham Walk was a Karaka sales purchase for the Logans, who believed he ticked all the boxes. According to Donna Logan her method of selection starts with a recommendation after breeding and bloodline analysis, veterinarian examination and approval, form analysis from specialist Gary Cossey and finally her own appraisal of the animal.

When Logan brought Durham Town home to Ruakaka, his determined bossy nature saw him relegated to the broodmare paddock, where he learnt some instruction and manners and decided after that experience, human company was pretty good after all.

After winning his first starts earlier this year, an opportunity to sell him to Hong Kong arose and the syndicate of owners were split on the decision of whether to sell or not.

Former All Blacks coach John Hart part owns and he was keen to keep the horse and race him. For Hart, it was not so much about selling as it was about having a good horse to enjoy and have some fun with.

Regardless, the deal fell through when the horse failed a routine veterinary X-ray. A bone chip on a fetlock was surgically removed.

Durham Town went back to the paddock for six months after he was given a very good prognosis after the surgery. In his first comeback start at Te Rapa, he over-raced and was not keen on going left-handed as he had not been there before. As a result he ran the worst race of his career to date, but pulled up sound which was much more important than winning or losing. From there he won his next two starts before stepping up to open company last Saturday.

Durham Town's next mission is the Group I Railway Stakes over the same 1200m distance as the Concorde except this time he will carry the heavier weight of 57kg. For Donna and Dean Logan it will be a wait-and-see approach at Ellerslie on the first day of January.

The Logans were not the only Ruakaka trainers to bring home some stakes from the Ellerslie meeting. The Kenny and Lisa Rae trained Upsala did well from a wide barrier draw, running home for a close second to Durham Town.

The other Rae starter, Flash Hapi, also went well but it was tough to make the placings after jumping from the barrier 13.

Both stables will be looking forward to the bigger stake races at Ellerslie over the Christmas-New Year holidays, but they will also have plenty of starters at the Whangarei Racing Club's summer festival raceday on January 5 at Ruakaka.