TOMORROW'S raceday at Ruakaka will have a fair representation of locally trained and owned horses all hoping to share in the prizemoney.
Among the local trainers is Ruakaka's Alan Johnson, who has quite a record of not only training but breeding and owning many classy performers over several decades.
Johnson's interest in the industry goes back to his days as an apprentice jockey but with weight issues to contend with he soon turned his hand to training.
One of the most notable horses that he was involved with was the very useful mare Grey Invader. She amassed just short of half a million dollars in stake earnings from 42 starts. She was in the money on 28 occasions and after winning the Auckland Breeders Stakes in 1989 she went on to bigger opportunities which culminated in her winning the Hong Kong Cup later that year.
These days Johnson has a few charges in his stables who may not be Hong Kong Cup winners but certainly have paid their way. Included among these is the bay mare Princess Road who has been stakes placed on 40 occasions and when racing at Ruakaka is seldom out of the placings.
