Ishimine, ridden by Matt Cameron, dug deep to beat the favourite Emerald Queen by a half head in the$15,000 Pitman Racing Stables Anniversary Day Cup (1200m) in her first start for six months. Her only public pre-race appearance was at the Avondale trials 20 days earlier when finishing out of the first three placings over 1000 metres. She raced down there last season and did well so we thought we’d get her down there early to prepare for the New Zealand Cup meeting,” said Donna Logan. “That was a good tough win today."
“The way she won it we might lift our sights and look at the Valachi Downs (formerly known as the Canterbury Breeders Stakes) at Riccarton for her. The runner-up today is being set for it and we’ll meet her far better off at Riccarton". “We’ll just give her a bit of time to get over this before we decide whether or not to give her a run between times. She does go well fresh.”
The Listed $55,000 Valachi Downs Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes is a fillies and mares 1400 metres on November 13 run with set weights and penalties.
Ishimine, a five-year-old daughter of Ishiguru, is raced by a syndicate which consists of IDL Racing, Gil Sutherland (of Christchurch), Bill Woods (father of Logan’s partner, Peter Woods) and Diane McDonald, mother of champion jockey James McDonald. Ishimine’s win was therefore the second leg of a special double for McDonald within three days with her son winning the Turnbull Stakes on Dundeel and bringing to an end the unbeaten run of Atlantic Jewel.
A winner of four of her 20 starts, Ishimine has been a model of consistency, having also picked up 10 minor placings. Two of those wins were recorded in a four-race South Island campaign early this year. She won fresh-up art Riccarton and, after placings at Invercargill and Cromwell she returned to Riccarton last March to end her last campaign on a winning note.
The Logan stable also has Jungle Knight in the South Island, having sent him south with Ishimine after he won at the Ruakaka meeting on September 14. He finished seventh at Riccarton last Saturday.
"We could be sending a couple more down, too, if it continually stays wet up this way," said Logan.
Ref: http://www.theinformant.co.nz/racing/OJ17141/Sights-lifted-after-fresh-up-win-for-Northlander