'Frodo' starts new quest for glory, Allan Sharrock reckons he has sure thing

Tavi Mac races at Otaki tomorrow but is being readied for bigger targets. Photo / Supplied

Trainer Allan Sharrock gained almost as much fun out of booking his jockey for Tavi Mac's return to gallops racing at Otaki tomorrow as he will from his stable star's actual appearance.

One of the finds of the racing season will return on its last day tomorrow when Tavi Mac lines up in the open sprint over 1100m as a start point towards races such as the Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa in four weeks and the Tarzino Trophy at Hastings.

Tavi Mac proved last year he is up to that level, overcoming a wide draw to push Avantage close in the Foxbridge before carrying big weights to win other open races and finish a close up fifth when not ideally suited in the Telegraph.

Those performances have seen him rise to a rating of 105 and that earned him 62kg for his comeback race tomorrow so Sharrock wanted a 4kg claimer and settled on Bailey Rogerson.

"She seems a really nice kid and has ridden a lot and I think she will handle him well because she would have ridden plenty of good horses before in work," says Sharrock.

"When I rang her to offer her the ride she was pretty stoked and I got a real thrill out of that myself. So I am glad to give her the opportunity."

Rogerson is the granddaughter of training legend Graeme Rogerson and while she has only seven career winners here she has plenty of experience.

"I can see Deerfield coming across to lead and Frodo [Tavi Mac's stable name] sitting in the trail and a five-horse field there shouldn't be too many traffic concerns."

With Tavi Mac now carrying just 58kg, 0.5kg more than Deerfield, anything like his best should see him win and Sharrock is confident that will be the case.

"Hey, it is a $32,500 race after all and we have far bigger targets so he isn't screwed down but the way he trialled a few weeks ago and has galloped since I think he can win," confirms Sharrock.

Sharrock finishes his personal best season with 54 wins and more than $1.1 million in stakes going into tomorrow and believes he can add to that total even without Tavi Mac's contribution.

"I actually think my other one in that race, London Express, is the danger to Frodo with Callum Jones on taking her weight down to 52kg."

He can't split his two hopes in the feature of tomorrow's meeting at Otaki and the last black type race of the season, the $50,000 Ryder Stakes, in which he has Yeaboi (R5, No2) and Catsacharmer (3), both unbeaten.

"The filly Catsacharmer has been really good in both her runs and Danielle [Johnson] is coming down to ride her for just about her only ride for the day so I expect she will start favourite, which she should," explains Sharrock.

"But the boy [Yeaboi] was very good last start and has only kept getting better so I don't think there will be much between them."

Sharrock suggests Herald readers back Butler three weeks ago and those who followed his advice would have got a winner and he says to back him again in race six tomorrow.

"He is going well and Hazel [Schofer] is riding so well he will be very hard to beat."

The open 1600m tomorrow looks the betting race of the day.

The event will bring together some of the warriors of winter racing in a race that could become far tougher than 1600m might usually suggest on a heavy11 track.