Candle in the Wind Shines in the Windsor Park Stud Karaka Stayers Cup

Progressive mare Candle in the Wind (NZ) (Darci Brahma) breezed to an impressive victory in the $100,0000 Windsor Park Stud Karaka Stayers Cup at the Karaka Million Twilight Meeting last night.

Candle in the Wind (NZ) wins the Windsor Park Stud Karaka Stayers Cup. Photo courtesy of Trish Dunell.

In just the races second year, Candle in the Wind stepped to a middle distance for the first time and produced an impressive performance for trainers Donna & Dean Logan. The daughter of New Zealand sire Darci Brahma has now recorded six wins from 17 starts.

“It was a great effort from her to jump from a mile to 2200m,” commented Donna Logan. “It was a great ride by Hugh Bowman and she tried really hard and dug deep. I said to Hugh when you get on she’s only a little dot.”

Australian jockey Hugh Bowman was aboard Candle in the Wind, jumping from barrier 4 and taking a position behind mid-field in the early stages of the race.

With 400m to go, Candle in the Wind came off the rail to find a clean run home and kicked on for a strong victory by one-and-a-half lengths. Blizzard (NZ) (Any Suggestion) made a strong bid for home in the straight but had to sette for second place and Chipandchase (NZ) (Pentire) finished in third position.

“We paid $2,500 for her at the Karaka Sales. It is such a bonus, we are really thrilled,” said Logan.

Winning the Windsor Park Stud Karaka Stayers Cup is the five-year-old mare’s biggest accomplishment to date, now with total earnings of $124,655 for owners GS Racing Ltd, B G Moffat, I R Gwyn & Cloughmore Racing Partnership.

Candle in the Wind was purchased at the 2011 Karaka Select Sale by Donna Logan for just $2,500 from Seaton Park.

Logan produced a race-tor-race double at the meeting with Volkstok’n’barrell (NZ) (Tavistock) winning the $100,000 NZN Insurance Karaka 3YO Mile, also purchased from Seaton Park.

Seaton Park has 6 horses catalogued in the Karaka Premier Sale which commences today.

Bred by Bromley Bloodstock, Candle in the Wind is out of U.S.A performing mare Prefer Blondes (Gentlemen). Prefer Blondes is a half-sister to the dam of stakes winner Archers Alyancer (Archers Bay), winner of two Listed races.

The Windsor Park Karaka Stayers Cup is open to all yearlings sold or passed at the National Yearling Sale Series until 2018. From 2018 horses will need to be nominated for the Karaka Million Race Series to enter the Karaka Stayers Cup. The current crop of yearlings that will be sold at Karaka this week will be five-year-olds in 2018 when the race goes exclusive.

Nominations for the 2015 Karaka Million Series close on Tuesday 3 March at 5pm with the NZ$1,750 +GST entry fee per horse.