Racing: Weight no barrier for Rover

By JAMES GRAHAM

Eddie Carson would hate this next statement to be interpreted as disrespectful to his opposition at Hawera tomorrow.

But the Trentham owner-trainer isn't rattled one bit by the 60.5kg his stable star Irish Rover must overcome to win a hat-trick of Opunake Cups.

"There's some reasonable lightweight types but I'm not really too worried about any of them," said Carson. "In my opinion he's earned that gap in the handicap."

Freshened a treat since his seven-length demolition job at weight-for-age at Wanganui, Carson is confident the rising seven-year-old is in the right shape to win his 16th race from just 29 starts.

As usual, he is content to leave the raceday tactics to regular pilot David Walker so punters looking for a hint on where the topweight may be in the running are out of luck.

But with a speedster like Betcha Wood in the race look for Irish Rover to take a sit and swoop near the turn.

"David will ride the race like he wants to," said Carson. "Look at Wanganui. Nothing wanted to lead so he just took off and left them to it."

One thing Carson is sure of in this campaign is that Irish Rover definitely isn't headed south again for the Winter Cup at Riccarton after tomorrow's race, as he has done for the previous two years.

"I'm not sure if it is the track or the wide draws that have beaten him each time but I just thought. 'Bugger it, were not going down this year'."

Carson will instead freshen Irish Rover again after tomorrow and set him for the Mudgeway Stakes (1400m) at Hastings next month.

After that he has the options of the other weight-for-age races at the Hawkes Bay carnival and the longer the distances the better.

Carson, however, is adamant that in a fresh state Irish Rover can win his sixth 1400m race from just eight attempts.

He says the gelding goes into tomorrow's race at least as sharp as he was this time last year.

New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock feels the topweight will need to be to hold out his last-start winner Go Thenaki, who gets a 6.5kg pull in the handicap.

"If we can't beat Irish Rover with that kind of spread we never will," said Sharrock. "The TAB's fixed odds market seems to be putting too much emphasis on the fact Go Thenaki is yet to win beyond 1300m."

Yesterday Sharrock's second-string Winter Cup hope behind Don't Ya Lovett was at $10 for the Waikato Stud Opunake Cup, well shy of Irish Rover's $3.25 quote.

But there are several factors that suggest he is the early value in the race if Irish Rover is vulnerable at the weights.

He gives 5kg to Tuscany Warrior.

Premiership leader Leith Innes treks south for the mount, Go Thenaki is a past winner on the course and the Kashani five-year-old has been rejuvenated lately by the healing hands of spinal specialist Jane Bennett.

Bennett, who manipulated Go Thenaki's back before his last-start win at Matamata, made a special trip south yesterday to put the winning polish on the horse for his final lead-up for Riccarton.

"I really can't see the distance being a problem," said Sharrock. "He ran fourth in a listed race in Adelaide over 1500m just one and a half lengths from the winner.

"And Leith got off him at Matamata and said he was already looking for another furlong."

Sharrock is hoping Go Thenaki will run a strong 1400m to confirm a trip south for the 1600m Winter Cup.

He is already gambling on Don't Ya Lovett making the field on the minimum.

Sharrock talked to former stable apprentice Michael Walker about coming back from Melbourne to ride Don't Ya Lovett at Riccarton.

But commitments in Australia that day mean Sharrock has now switched to plan B and booked Andrew Calder for Riccarton.

"I would be surprised if he doesn't make the field but there is also a PQ 1800m on the same day."