Change of Fortune for Durham Town

The powerful chestnut gelding Durham Town (NZ) bounced back to his very best on the Ellerslie track on Saturday, with a fighting victory in the $100,000 Group 3 Darley Plate (1200m) bringing his impressive tally to six wins from 10 starts.

With a shock fall in the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap at his last outing, Durham Town (Falkirk x Durham Walk) had a six week break from the races coming into Saturday's assignment.

Ridden by James McDonald who stood in for injured jockey Vinnie Colgan who broke his thumb in the fall, McDonald raced the four-year-old just off the pace, one off the rail, and kept Durham Town honest in the straight where he found enough to take the lead and claim his second stakes victory by one length.

Trained by Donna & Dean Logan, and part-owned by Donna Logan and one of the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame's newest inductees in retired champion trainer Jim Gibbs, all of Durham Town's race victories have come on the Ellerslie track. The race was also his first win on soft ground with his other five victories on good or dead surfaces.

Plans for Durham Town remain unconfirmed with Dean Logan outlining that an Australian campaign could be a possibility if the horse shows that he can perform over more ground.

Bred by Debbie and Peter Seebeck, Durham Town was purchased by Donna Logan from New Zealand Bloodstock's 2009 Festival Sale for $43,000. He has now won just shy of $170,000 in stakes.

Windsor Park Stud sire Falkirk (Tale of the Cat) has also been represented recently by his second stakeswinner Jaggard, winner of the Group 3 White Robe Lodge Handicap (1600m) in early February.

Second placed Vonusti (NZ) (Ustinov x Reasonably) came from dead last at the 300 metres and flew down the outside of the track to claim second and the quinella for Karaka graduates. A winner of the Group 1 Telegraph Handicap in 2010, the stakes placing was his second this season after running second to Mufhasa (Pentire) in the Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes in December.

Trained by Tim & Margaret Carter, Vonusti was offered by Halo Farm at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2006 Ready to Run Sale. Saturday's effort has taken his stakes to over $900,000.