Racing: 'Best friend' has chance at third Waikato Cup

Donna Logan says don't rate her as mean for giving El Duce another season's racing.

The rising 9-year-old, she says, would hate her if she didn't.

El Duce, winner of $652,698, is one veteran who will probably never lose his keenness to compete.

"He can't tolerate standing around in his paddock. He has to come up here to the stable every day and get into it."

The Logans gave El Duce his first public appearance since a spell with a gallop between races at Ruakaka yesterday. The old bloke was gasping after running 1000m in 1.4, the last 600 in 36.

"He's so fat," said Logan.

Rider Catherine Treymane was delighted with El Duce's effort.

"He's so professional. When I took him around into the back straight he spied the barriers and wanted to go over and hop into one.

"He was really gasping in the final stages of the gallop, but wanted to keep going. He's just a real pro."

El Duce has won the last two Waikato Gold Cups and will almost certainly attempt to make that three in November.

But that presents the stable with a problem - how to get him fit and keep the weight off him without sending him over the top in four months.

"I can't afford to back off him and wait for better ground because he'll just get away on us," said Logan.

"For that reason I wanted to have a crack at the Taumarunui Cup, but that's going to come up too quickly for us.

"He'll probably have to have his first run in the Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa in August - he won that fresh from a spell last year."

Logan is conscious of public opinion. "Some people might think we're cruel keeping him going, but it's what he wants.

"He's the best friend I've ever had, we'll be looking after him."

As if on cue, El Duce's younger brother El Perez scored his first win 20 minutes after the exhibition.

Dean and Donna Logan race El Perez in the same partnership with Whangarei doctor John Sprague and wife Karen and included this time are retired Tauranga couple Malcolm and Joan Jackson.

Yesterday was Malcolm Jackson's birthday.

"This horse is a lot like El Duce in that he's been very slow maturing and we've had to be patient with him."

El Perez is rising five and Logan says she can't wait to get the horse to racing at a middle distance.