Logan and Gibbs stable is off to a flying start

Carrot cake and racing do not necessarily go hand in hand but at the Whangarei Racing Club it was in ample supply for the horses to celebrate All Horses' Birthdays on August 1, and the first day of the 2009-10 race season.
It was a hugely successful start to the season for Ruakaka-based trainers Donna and Dean Logan, and Chris Gibbs who stole the show with three wins, two seconds and a third place.
"Last season we had 46 winners - our previous best was 36 and to have three winners on the first day of the new season is really encouraging," Donna Logan said.
Following Saturday's success, the Logan/Gibbs stable were the leading trainers and jockey James McDonald who rides for the Ruakaka outfit regularly was again the leading jockey in the country.
McDonald rode  two of the three winners on Saturday for the Logans and Gibbs - El Presidente in the 91.6 More FM 1600m, and Sun Spur in the Northland Veterinary Group 1400m on the back of winning  Jockey Premiership for the 2008-09 season ahead of Sam Spratt.
It was a huge achievement for McDonald who has only been race riding for two years, Logan said.
Saturday's feature race was the Whangarei Cup won by Ima Lady - a six-year-old who has more to give yet, Logan said.
It was a great win for the Michael Walker-ridden horse and the local syndicate that leases  it from the family of the late Bob Tait - who were present at Ruakaka race track to see the victory.
Northland's only listed event and final leg of the Triple Crown Series for two-year-olds, the Northland Breeders Stakes worth $50,000 was run on Friday at the track.
The Breeders Stakes was  postponed two weeks ago due to bad weather and rescheduled for the final day of the 2008-09 season.
 Walker rode Queen Sabeel to win the 1200m race by half a length clear of Indisputable, with Poetic Music third, and Pentango  fourth, in a time of 1m 11.36s.
Trained by Graeme Rogerson, Scott Lucock and Royden Bergeson, it was a fitting finish for the partnership which is dispersing with Rogerson starting a new working alliance with wife Debbie.
While Queen Sabeel took out the final leg of the Triple Crown Series, Poetic Music, trained by Richard Collett was the overall winner after three solid rides during the winter.
Whangarei Racing Club manager Karen Houlihan said the two-day meeting was a success enjoyed by keen punters - and the horses alike.
"It was a great day - all the kids sang Happy Birthday to the horses and presented them a carrot cake."