There was country charm galore at the Dargaville racecourse yesterday, but everyone bar the horses was anxiously watching the dark clouds in the sky. Fortunately, the rain held off and the track was good for the second Dargaville Racing Club meeting this year. The 2000m feature race of the day, the $20,000Northern Wairoa Hotel Northland Cup, was won by horse number seven Harjean - ridden by Michelle Wenn and trained by T. Cole, of Te Kauwhata - in a course record time of 2:01.91. A long neck back was Samantha Spratt on Adorn (6), trained by Donna and Dean Logan and Chris Gibbs at Ruakaka, with Te Rapa-trained Mybigfatgreekhorse (2) ridden by Cory Parish in third place. The win paid $4 and the places $1.40, $1.60 and $1.30. The quinella was $6.70, the trifecta $39.40 and TAB doubles $30.50 (1/7) and $12.40 (1/6). Dargaville Racing Club secretary Basil Smith said about 2000 people were at the meeting. The course turnover was $140,000, which he said was more than expected with the small fields resulting from racing fixtures further south today and tomorrow. "We are more than pleased with the turnover," Mr Smith said. The club will celebrate the racecourse's 50th year on its present site next year. Mr Smith said it was previously at Mangawhare and near the Dargaville end of the Northern Wairoa River bridge.
