Spring racing started with a bang for Logan Racing Stables, whose filly Jungle Juice won the $45,000 Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie.
The gutsy 15.3-hand three-year-old is trained by Ruakaka-based Donna and Dean Logan and Chris Gibbs, won the 1400m stakes by 1 lengths with Noel Harris onboard.
Donna Logan said Jungle
Juice deserved a rest after the victory and would return to the track in a month's time.
"We have got her in the paddock for a month then we will aim her for the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks at Wellington [Trentham Gardens] in March - the premier 2400m race for three-year-old fillies."
Spring racing inevitably means celebrating the Melbourne Cup Day on November 3, but Logan said that they would most likely be staying close to home this year, and would perhaps attend Auckland Racing Club's annual Melbourne Cup Day at Ellerslie.
"I've been there [Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington] many times and it's not quite the same when you don't have any horses running. So, I think we'll go to Ellerslie where we will take a group of runners down," she said.
The Logan team also have their sights set on the New Zealand Cup at Christchurch's Riccarton Park on November 14.
They are waiting to see if their three nominations had made the impressive field for the 3200m Group 3 race.
They should find out in the next week or so, Logan said.
Bounce, a six-year-old mare owned locally by Terry Archer and Neville Child, has had a win and was placed second in her last two starts, while The Mooseisloose won his last $30,000 race at Pukekohe.
The five-year-old gelding is owned by Matakana's Craig Dawson.
Meanwhile, Tin Goose, owned by Whangarei's John Sprague, ran third over a mile at Ruakaka's September meeting - her first start after a spell, Logan said. None of the three nominations had run the two-mile NZ Cup distance before, but would handle the extra metres with ease, Logan said.
