Racing: Dream realised as gutsy Grout scores in Sires

It was like a dream come true for Allan Sharrock in the group one $120,000 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes at Awapuni.

The New Plymouth trainer and his champion apprentice Michael Walker had so much faith in the winner, Grout, a pony-sized gelding by Gold Brose, that both were restless on Friday night.

"I've liked this little horse ever since his first preparation and he's just got better and better," Sharrock said. "You can't take the glory until they pass that winning post first, but I knew he would go well.

"His work last Saturday was enormous and he just kept training on during the week. If that's what he can do today then he's going to be even harder to beat right-handed in next Monday [Easter's] Ellerslie Sires' Produce Stakes.

"He won at Ellerslie at his previous start and Michael [Walker] said he was a completely different horse that way round, so Auckland here come."

The Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes was Sharrock's first group one win and Walker's second following Smiling Like's Wellington Cup last year.

Walker made a flamboyant wave to the crowd after Smiling Like passed the winning post but he said Grout's win on Saturday topped it.

"One of my dreams has been to win a group one for Allan, but I didn't think my inner feelings of winning on Smiling Like at Trentham could be matched, yet they were.

"So much emotion came over me after we passed the winning post I could have cried. I had butterflies you couldn't imagine. I was still shaking when I brought Grout back to scale. I'm over the moon."

It was also a dream result for Grout's owners, Ron and Noel Stanley of Opunake in Taranaki.

The pig and dairy farmers have struck gold with their thoroughbred ventures this season after years of nothing from the game they love.

The Stanleys have won five races with three horses in the last six weeks, with Grout leading the way with three.

Prince Of Praise gelding Nkosi scored for them at Hawera on February 10, as did Grout, and just last Thursday at Wanganui they had instant success with two-year-old debutant Woburn.

However, Nkosi is at home with a leg in plaster after cracking a fetlock.

"We had a big day at Hawera with two winners last month, but this is just so unbelievable," Ron Stanley said on Saturday.

"I could see Grout coming in the home straight today, but thought second to Danroad was going to be our lot, then next thing ...

"He's got a lot of guts for a tiny bloke, but he knows where that finish line is.

"I think he hit the pain barrier at the 200m, but just dug deep for Michael," said Stanley, who has been the raceday judge for all Taranaki meetings over the past 17 years.

The brothers bought Grout for $20,000 at the select colts' session at the National Yearling Sales.

- NZPA