Ruakaka set for richest race this year

This weekend's racing at Ruakaka will be a standout with three events planned around Saturday's raceday. Tonight the Whangarei Racing Club hold their annual dinner as the lead-in event to tomorrow's richest race.

The annual dinner features guest speaker high-profile Australian racing personality Malcolm Johnston, who fronts the Australian racing show Off the Rails.

Malcolm will be known by many for his exploits as a jockey and notably for his rides on outstanding triple Cox Plate winner Kingston Town.

Tomorrow's featured raceday includes the Westbury Stud Challenge Stakes, the richest Stake race for Ruakaka racing for this year. Westbury Stud has supported racing at Whangarei Racing Club for the second year in a row, having also sponsored the 2-year-old Triple crown series this year and the Listed 2-year-old race in 2010.

This final raceday for 2011 also includes the LJ Hooker Fashion Fiesta competition. The competition caters for five different categories and contestants will show off their wears on a catwalk that is contained within the LJ Hooker Fashion Enclosure.

The new-look enclosure this year has been built internally and has views over the winning post, designed to incorporate 200 reserved seating for corporates, guests and VIPs, complete with catwalk and judges for the fashion competition.

The purpose-built enclosure has been designed to increase the club's all-weather seating and entertainment area and will be utilised on other racedays throughout the year.

The Fashion Fiesta competition celebrates a fifth anniversary this year and has always been promoted and sponsored by Michael Springford - owner and principal of LJ Hooker Whangarei.

The first horse he was associated with was Amelia Jane, whom he owned in partnership with Les Donaldson - a past president and now patron of Whangarei Racing Club. From there the relationship of man and horse grew with racing partnerships formed between Michael and many other racing club members, who together raced some successful horses, which included El Pzaaz, StabintheDark, Dramatic Duchess, GoMickey and Brother Mickey.

And I am told that "if there's a horse running around with the name Mickey in it, there's a good chance Michael Springford probably has a share in it".

The LJ Hooker Whangarei Springplate will be run tomorrow over 1200m, an Open class event with two runners from the stable of local trainers Donna and Dean Logan, who will start El Mauricio and Asgoodasitgets in the $20,000 sprint.

Gates open at 10.30am, with the first race due to start closer to midday.

There will be a charge at the gate of $5 per person. Under-18s have free entry.

On the Monday following the weekend of racing events, the Ruakaka racecourse will be holding trials for all horses eligible in the Northern and Waikato region. Start time will be about 11am. Aaron White will be on course to commentate, and food and refreshments will be available for most of the day.