As a 9-year-old with $538,000 in earnings, Justaskme would be most trainers’ stable star but Ladies Man is Sharrock’s best horse, who went within a whisker of making last season’s Melbourne Cup.
“We won’t be trying that again. We have worked out he is too brilliant for 3200m,” Sharrock told the Herald.
Ladies Man resumes later than expected in today’s open 1400m, his spring plans delayed by a mystery hoof issue, solved when a giant abscess burst.
Sharrock has targetted the Group 1 Livamol Classic (Hastings, October 12) as Ladies Man’s ultimate spring goal but says today is just a stepping stone as he lacks the recent race fitness of his stablemates who are set to scare the bookies today.
“I’d be happy if he was running on well today and then he won’t go to the Arrowfield Plate [Sept 30] but the 1600m at Te Rapa the day before instead.
“If he needs another run before the Livamol, I might even take him to a 1600m at Matamata the week before. He is a tough old horse, he could handle that.”
Ladies Man finds himself in a deep race today against a truly top-class wet-track galloper in Mustang Valley (R5, No.1) and a host of others.
Away from his two big names, Sharrock suggests Tisse (R1, No.1) and Bella Timing (R4, No.3) are his two next best chances today.
“And I can’t split Indian Gold (1) and Outer Focus (2) in race six.”
Further south, North Island stables look set to dominate the $80,000 Canterbury Belle Stakes at Riccarton, even against a talented local in Diablo Blanco (R7, No.1).
There are six northerners chasing the listed black type but The Victress looks the one to beat.
She was fast away to lead throughout against many of these last start and has barrier 1 and Opie Bosson so ticks plenty of boxes. Her $4 bookies quote is unlikely still to be available at race start time.
For all the talent on show today, including some stunning racing in Melbourne and Sydney, the highlight of the New Zealand racing weekend is tomorrow’s Te Rapa meeting.
It hosts a great steeplechaser in West Coast trying to defend his title in the $150,000 Great Northern Steeplechase while his stablemate Berry The Cash is favourite for the Great Northern Hurdles.
The meeting also features an open 1600m with Group 1 winners Sharp N Smart and Campionessa as well as top-class stayers Dionysus and Ess Vee Are so will be an important spring form pointer.
Today’s racing
** New Plymouth, first race 12.35pm
** Riccarton, first race 12.20pm
** Rosehill, first race 1.50pm
** Flemington, first race 2.10pm
Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald’s Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world’s biggest horse racing carnivals.
