Second G3 Darley Victory for Durham Town

An outstanding performance by seasoned sprinter Durham Town (NZ) (Falkirk) saw him triumph in the Group 3 $100,000 Darley Plate (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Durham Town (NZ) won the Group 3 Darley Plate. Photo courtesy of Trish Dunell.

Durham Town has now won the Group 3 Darley Plate twice, first winning the race as a four-year-old in 2012 with James McDonald onboard. Trained by Donna and Dean Logan, the seven-year-old has been close up this season, finishing third in three Group races, including the Group 1 Sistema Railway Stakes.

He ran in the Darley Plate a further two times again as a five-year-old finishing second and last year where he finished third. Durham Town has four stakes victories to his name now with his highest victory the Group 2 Concorde Handicap.

“Durham Town is a grand old war horse who is still peaking at seven-years-old,” commented Donna Logan. “He loves Ellerslie and never stops trying.

Logan. “He loves Ellerslie and never stops trying.

“Opie (Bosson) commented on how enormous he felt and he did it with ease. He felt like he was the only horse in the race.

“We don’t have a race lined up for him just yet but we are looking for one to suit him.”

Starting from barrier 2 with jockey Opie Bosson, Durham Town took the lead from the early stages with Hannah Mary (NZ) (Dubawi) sitting one-length behind. It was a clear run as Durham Town and Bosson proved impossible to catch as they reached the home stretch.

A burst of energy in the last moments of the race saw him take victory by 3.3 lengths, seeing Shelford (Redoute’s Choice) and Hannah Mary finishing in second and third place.

His eighth win from 29 starts have earned the seven-year-old gelding $416,683 in prizemoney for owners P D Collins, Mrs A Gibbs, J A Gibbs MNZM, J B Hart, Donna Logan and D H Wale.

Donna Logan purchased Durham Town from the 2009 Festival Yearling Sale for $43,000 from Nerobella Lodge.

Bred by Mrs D S & P L Seebeck, Durham Town is out of unraced mare Durham Walk (Maju). His granddam Majestic Walk (Sir Tristram) is a three-quarter-sister to Classic Walk (Grosvenor), winner of the Listed South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes.