VISITOR SET FOR SUCCESSFUL FAREWARE

Reference: http://www.nzracing.co.nz/News/11322/Visitor-set-for-successful-farewell.aspx

Whistling Straits’ extended southern campaign hasn’t gone all according to plan, but he can end it on a high note at Ashburton on Friday.

The Dean and Donna Logan-prepared six-year-old will drop back to Rating 85 company in the Envira Timber Cladding Handicap and while he goes up in weight he still looks a strong winning hope for his Ruakaka trainers.

Whistling Straits has had five starts in the South Island with his best effort a second placing behind Medici in the North Canterbury Cup at Riccarton. He hasn’t finished further back than sixth in his other appearances and a change of fortune is overdue.

“This will probably be his last run before he comes home,” Donna Logan said. “He’s been very unlucky down there and he’s honest and deserves to get one.”

Closer to home, the stable has been more than satisfied with the progress of a number of in-form prospects to step out during the Auckland Racing Club’s Christmas carnival.

Leading the charge is the top-notch sprinter Durham Town and he signalled his readiness for the Gr.1 Sistema Railway Stakes at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day with a good hit-out at Cambridge earlier this week.

“He trialled well and did just what we wanted,” Donna Logan said. “I’ve pulled him out of Wellington (the Gr.1 Telegraph Handicap), I don’t think we need to go there, and we’ll see what happens in the Railway and then hopefully on to the Waikato Draught Sprint.”