Whangarei trainers have been frantically preparing their horses for the busy summer racing period.
While the summer meeting at Ruakaka racecourse on January 5 will attract plenty of locally-trained horses, there are several involved in various meetings beforehand to tempt punters.
Logan Stables, who train out of Ruakaka, have three horses in
action at the Ellerslie Boxing Day races, running against the best of the best, Donna Logan said.
"The cream of the crop will be racing so you don't go in overly confident to these sorts of meetings - you just present your horses the best you can," she said.
Six-year-old mare Jazella will line up in the listed Nicolas Feuillatte Newmarket Handicap 1200m sprint, while her stablemate, 5-year-old mare Tin Goose, is racing in the Rating 90 2100m.
Attracting her fair share of interest recently is Jungle Juice, a 3-year-old filly who will tackle the Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic.
Jungle Juice won her last race, the Geon Bonecrusher Stakes, in September at Ellerslie and will hit the track fresh for the group two race.
She is the only one of the Logan's contingent who will cope with a wet track, so the trainers are hoping for a good surface with decent barriers to be in with a chance, Logan said.
Also racing in the Eight Carat Classic is fellow Ruakaka trainer Jean Pfersdorff's charge Franciliene, while Kenny and Lisa Rae's Faalcon contests the Newmarket Handicap.
"1200m is the perfect distance for him and he'll go well on anything but a really wet track," Kenny Rae said.
The 6-year-old gelding is currently in the best form of his career to date, with two seconds and a fourth recently and Rae is hoping jockey Craig Grylls can secure a good run.
While the Raes may be in with a winning chance with Faalcon, come New Year's Day at Ellerslie they will be placing their hopes on the classy Mirkola Lass in the prestigious City of Auckland Cup.
Although she ran only fourth for her last start, she was carrying a big (58kg) weight.
But on New Year's Day she will have only 53.5kg, with regular jockey Paul Taylor back aboard.
The Logans also have a few possible starters, making it an exciting time for Northern stables.
