KEY POINTS:
John Sargent will be happy with any winning margin if he can win tomorrow's $150,000 group one Whakanui Stud International Stakes at Te Rapa with Sharvasti.
But he'd prefer it to be two or three lengths if Sharvasti is lucky enough to win.
Sargent is looking at the
Australian Cup with the high class mare, but only if he is sufficiently impressed by her performance tomorrow.
"She'll have to win and win well to justify the trip to Melbourne," said Sargent.
If Sharvasti does not head to Melbourne she will tackle the $200,000 group one Starcraft Stakes at Ellerslie then possibly the A$2.25 million ($2.55 million) BMW in Sydney.
Sharvasti has not raced since finishing a game second to Mikki Street in the Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on January 1.
She showed she was on track for this race when she narrowly, but comfortably, won a 1600m barrier trial at Te Awamutu two weeks ago.
Being narrowly beaten at group one level is never easy, but Sargent was more than pleased with Sharvasti's second to Mikki Street. The mare got back, had to challenge very wide and ran on stoutly.
"She got lost out there in that race and she was in season. Overall it was a pretty good run," said Sargent.
"She's pretty much right where I want her to be at the moment and she's probably a bit stronger than when she won the Avondale Cup in December."
Having Sir Slick in any race changes the dynamic.
His fighting spirit ensures all runners have to keep him reasonably in sight or they face an impossibly fast last sectional.
All his form has been up to 1600m, the distance he destroyed the opposition in the Thorndon Mile over.
He has had just the two starts past 1600m.
This time last year, when in nowhere near the same form as right now, he finished fifth, beaten 2.2 lengths, to Madame Shinko in the 2000m Taranaki Cup.
He produced a better effort when fifth to Legs in the 2040m Kelt Capital Stakes at Hastings in the spring.
It is not easy to run the sectionals Sir Slick manages at 1600m and sustain the effort over an additional 400m, but he was more than holding his own at the finish of the Thorndon and it's difficult to believe he'd have been beaten by much, if at all, if that race had been 2000m.
Sir Slick keeps proving everyone wrong about how good he is and he's going to keep them all honest again.
The interesting statistic - and a slight concern for some - is around the course stats.
In six starts at Te Rapa Sir Slick has managed just two placings and Sharvasti has not raced there.
"He'll be competitive," said Sir Slick's proud part owner and trainer Graeme Nicholson.
"He's worked very well this week. To be honest Sharvasti is the only one I'm worried about."
Pentane is the interesting runner.
He has had only one race since an off-colour run in the Geelong Cup in late October spelled the end of his Melbourne Cup hopes.
That subsequent run was over 1600m on a slow track at Ellerslie, not exactly the type of race to suit.
This is more his style and if he is to come back to form this preparation he would need to be in the first four home.
Kingsinga, yesterday made favourite by the TAB for the $700,000 SkyCity Auckland Cup, is having his first attempt at weight-for-age racing.
Because of the race conditions there is no possibility of a re-handicap on the 54.5kg he has received in the big Ellerslie event.
He won the Manawatu Cup in style last time and although not quite as well off at level weights with some of these, he has real ability.