Horse racing: Sharrocks battle for Opunake Cup

Soldier Boy with trainer Gavin Sharrock after winning this year’s Marton Cup at Trentham.

The “other Sharrock” thinks he can upstage his cousins in tomorrow’s $85,000 Opunake Cup at New Plymouth.

For years trainer Allan Sharrock has been one of our best trainers and the flagbearer for the famous racing name but he has been joined at the top of the racing ladder by his brother Bruce, now the chief executive of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing.

Such roles rarely foster popularity but with the thoroughbred code finally making real progress brother Bruce has gained plenty of respect in the industry. The brothers join forces tomorrow as they share in the ownership of the co-favourite for the Cup, Justaskme.

Allan is confident even with a huge 60kgs topweight Justaskme can win, the bigger problem being the entire rest of the field is on 53.5kgs or less.

“That makes it hard, giving that much weight to all of them,” admits Allan.

“But I couldn’t be happier with the horse. We had him checked out after he failed at Te Rapa and have sorted a few things out and his work this week has been sensational.

“If it was a mile I’d be very confident but the 1400m might be a touch on the short side but he can still win.”
 One of those horses Allan fears on the 53kgs minimum is Soldier Boy, trained by his first cousin Gavin, the “other Sharrock.”

He may not train anywhere as many horses as his cousin but Gavin has a good one now in Soldier Boy, who finished fourth in the Derby last year even placed behind both Noverre and Everest second favourite I Wish I Win as a two-year-old so has always shaped as a good horse in the making.

He started to live up to that early promise this season but hasn’t raced since the Avondale Cup in February. While he has had no official trials Gavin says that isn’t a huge concern.

“He has a good record fresh up and won over distances like this a few times fresh before,” says Gavin.

“He actually deadheated with Darci La Bella at the jumpouts last week so he is ready to go.”


That and his ability to handle heavy tracks suggests Soldier Boy might be just as good a chance as the more favoured Sharrock runner at the top of the weights.
 “He has come up well and is a really big horse now, well over 500kgs. If he races well we are thinking about the group 1 on the second day at Hastings and the owner is even keen on an Australian campaign,” says Gavin.
 The Cup has far more chances though than the Sharrock cousins’ pair with Lisa Latta having three good chances headed by the in-form Belardo Boy.

Secret Armour can win while Wessex has the early speed to overcome her wide draw and be a factor as long as she can conserve her energy more in the first half of the race.

She is, however, not well placed at the weights with Justaskme compressing the weights down so much with his 101 rating that all the other runners from Deerfield (rated 88) down to the 77-rater Cork are covered by only 0.5kgs.

But like many big winter races he may ultimately come down to who handles the track best.

WEEKEND WINNERS

1: Flower Of Wanaka (New Plymouth, R8): Bolted away with black type mares race last start and if second up syndrome not a factor should win again.

2: Mr Didgeridoo (New Plymouth, R6): Impressive on debut and in a field that lacks form.

3: Turn The Ace (Tauranga, R5): Beat a smart horse well from similar barrier last start and 4kgs claim a big help.