Racing: Go Thenaki the one to beat

Not many winter sprinters win a quarter of a million dollars and not many of them jump hurdles.

Go Thenaki does. Combine that with a 3kg apprentice allowance and it makes a powerful argument that the Taranaki toughie should win tomorrow's $30,000 Wealleans Groundspread Open at Tauranga.

The key is the allowance. It takes Go Thenaki from clear 57.5kg topweight to carrying the same as half the field, with only a couple of those below him in the weights posing any real threat.

Go Thenaki scored a surprise first-up win at Ellerslie last start. Surprise in that the Allan Sharrock stable expected its other representative, Don't Ya Lovett, to win.

Don't Ya Lovett was checked in the final stages of that race, an incident that saw him promoted from third to second behind his stablemate.

Sharrock was surprised, but not shocked, at the victory.

"He'd done a lot of schooling in his time away from racing and he'd had three or four jump-outs, so he was pretty fit to resume."

Things have not gone backwards.

"He jumped six hurdles this morning and then galloped brilliantly," said Sharrock yesterday.

Lance O'Sullivan's apprentice Chad Ormsby is riding with great touch and will do the job on Go Thenaki.

Even the barrier draws have gone in favour of the Taranaki visitor - he has drawn out wide, where you'll need to be for the second half of the programme tomorrow, and two of his dangers, Insan Itee and Baltaine, have drawn No 2 and No 1.

"They'll be winning under the arches for the last few races and that's where he'll be."

Sharrock acknowledges Go Thenaki is getting to a position in the weights that makes him difficult to place.

"I wouldn't be adverse to whipping him over the Tasman for the Liston Stakes in Melbourne if his form warrants it."

Don't Ya Lovett runs in the $15,000 Otaki Winter Championship Qualifier on Sunday, Matt Cameron reducing his 57kg second topweight by 1kg.

Sharrock is not convinced the talented winter galloper will run in the $40,000 final of the series, even if he qualifies on Sunday.

"There is the Opunake Cup [1400m] two weeks later for an additional $10,000. That's a more realistic target.

"The Winter Cup at Riccarton is his main aim. That's $80,000 and you don't get better money than that in winter."

Baltaine, Rat Tat and Insan Itee are dangers to Go Thenaki.