Local stables strike pay dirt at Ruakaka meeting

Local trainers impressed at the Whangarei Racing Club's winter meeting at the Ruakaka track, producing six of the winners on the 10-race programme, including the two main feature races.
Ruakaka trainers Kenny and Lisa Rae's classy two-year-old Upsala, ridden by Paul Taylor, convincingly  won the $45,000 Westbury Stud Northland Breeders Stakes listed race, ahead of Cool Storm and Mygoodgrace.
Saturday's Breeders Stakes was the third and final leg of the Westbury Stud Triple Crown Point Series for  2-year-olds. Upsala missed out on the title because he did not run in the first two events and instead, Pukekohe trainer Cydne Evans enjoyed success with his charge Kahala.
Kahala won the first race of the series, followed by a third and a fourth to secure the series, one point ahead of Cool Storm, trained by Stephen McKee of Ardmore.
The other main feature race was the Oceanz Seafood Whangarei Cup, which the Donna and Dean Logan and Chris Gibbs' trained Last Blast claimed in style, with Matthew Cameron on board.
The two biggest training stables at Ruakaka also produced the other local winners.
The Logan-Gibbs produced Matariki to win the Cowleys Hire Centre 1200m, Dashing Donna to aptly win the Logan Racing Stables 1400m and Ace High  to win the Reyburn and Bryant 1600.
And Apatchee Tute and Taylor won the Gary Cossey's 40th Birthday Bash 1400m for the Raes.
Ruakaka Race Track was buzzing in the mild weather, with over 3000 punters enjoying the action.
"The club had a really good day. We had a really big on-course turnover - $173,000 - the biggest we have done for at least three years," Whangarei Race Club manager Karen Houlihan said. "There was some excellent racing and good quality fields, which was why the turnover was so high."
Meanwhile, the off-course betting turnover was $1.5 million. This Saturday, the club is hosting the Project Promise Fundraising Day, where there will be plenty of action with races and various fun activities, with all profits raised going towards Project Promise and the new oncology unit for Whangarei Base Hospital.
There is also a Winter Wonderland Champagne Luncheon, with tickets costing $75 per person.