3 minute read

Donna Logan has a high-class yardstick by which to measure Valley Girl’s spring prospects in Melbourne.

The Ruakaka horsewoman, who prepares last season’s Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes winner with Chris Gibbs, went close to Gr.1 Caulfield Cup success in 2014 with Rising Romance when she beat all but the Japanese raider Admire Rakti.

“Valley Girl’s a little bit sharper than Rising Romance, who got dour relatively quickly whereas this girl has got more speed,” Logan said.

“The weight she would get in a Caulfield Cup makes it a nice race for her. When you’ve had a crack at these races and been lucky enough to have had a horse good enough to line up like Rising Romance you get a guide as to what you need.”

A first-up open sprint winner on her home track, Valley Girl will make her next appearance in the Gr.1 Makfi Challenge Stakes on August 27 before Logan confirms which path they take with the Mastercraftsman mare.

“We’re looking forward to the Makfi and then we will determine which direction we take,” she said.

“We could go on to the Makybe Diva, the Turnbull and the Caulfield Cup or we could go to the Windsor Park Plate after the Makfi and then the Turnbull before the Caulfield Cup.

“The other option, which is what we did with Rising Romance, is to go to the Makfi and then to Sydney for the George Main and the Craven Plate before the Caulfield Cup.”

Meanwhile, Logan has confirmed that stablemate Hasselhoof will remain at home this spring.

“At this point in time we are looking at all three legs during the Hawke’s Bay spring carnival,” she said.