Donna Logan resumes NZ training at Byerley Park after Singapore racing ends

Donna Logan will resume her training career in New Zealand at Ruakākā on Tuesday. Photo / Trish Dunell

By Joshua Smith, LOVERACING.NZ News Desk

Donna Logan is resuming her training career in New Zealand after plying her trade in Singapore for the last seven years.

Racing ceased in Singapore following the last race meeting on October 5, and Logan elected to return home.

She opted to base her training operation at Byerley Park in South Auckland rather than return to her former base at Ruakākā.

“It’s absolutely amazing to be back,” Logan said. “I love it at Byerley Park, the horses are so happy, and we are happy.

“Byerley Park was a very good option. Ellerslie isn’t far and that is where the money is, and the airport is close, so, if we are good enough, we can go overseas. They were big attractions.”

While Logan would have loved to have returned to Ruakākā, she said the amount of travel involved from the Northland township was too much of a hurdle.

“I loved Ruakākā, I had a wonderful time training there, but once you are based in a place like Singapore and you race and train in one place, I was quite despondent to think that I am going to have to do all of that travel again,” she said.

“I have done a lot of it (travel), I missed a lot of kids’ sports, I sacrificed a lot for that travel, so Byerley Park seemed a sensible option.”

Logan is also appreciating the greenery of her homeland after living in a city state for the best part of the last decade.

“We probably didn’t appreciate how much we missed the green paddocks and the lawns and trees. We really appreciate it now after being away from it,” she said.

While Logan hasn’t returned to train at Ruakākā, she is rapt that she is having her first runners at the Northland venue on Tuesday.

“It is funny that it has panned out that I am kicking off in Ruakākā,” she said.

“It just fitted in and it wasn’t until we did the noms that I thought ‘Oh my god, I am going back to my old turf’.”

Logan is set to line up debutants Likava and White Mask for Westbury Stud principal Gerry Harvey, who Logan said has been a big supporter of hers on her New Zealand return.

“Gerry is amazing. He supports a lot of people in New Zealand, and I am very grateful to have his support. He is a great man for our industry,” Logan said.

Four-year-old mare Likava will line up in the Northland Business Systems (1200m), while Logan is weighing up between the Wangaripo Valley Free Range Egg Cup Race (1400m) and Lion Red (1400m) with White Mask.

“White Mask is a very nice three-year-old that is going to get up over ground,” Logan said.

“Whatever she does tomorrow she is going to take a tonne of improvement, and, as she steps up in distance, she is only going to get better and better.

“Likava is older, a four-year-old now, but she has shown me enough to think that she will go a reasonable race. She is a first starter, so they have been very patient with her.

“Both horses were pre-trained for me before I got here and I am grateful to the people who pre-trained them for me, it has given me the opportunity to kick off the mark a lot quicker than I would have otherwise.”

Meanwhile, Logan was pleased to be reunited with her Singapore stakes performed mare Istataba last month. The Argentinian-bred daughter of Treasure Beach placed in the Singapore 3YO Classic (1400m) and two editions of the Singapore Gold Cup for Logan, and earned more than S$536,000 in prize money.

Logan is excited to have her bolster her New Zealand team, and she is already eyeing some stakes targets with her mare.

“Istataba arrived in New Zealand on the 20th of December. She is the only horse from Singapore,” Logan said. “She ran third in the Singapore Gold Cup two years running for me, and she will be set for our cups staying races.”