New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock will saddle three runners in his bid for back-to-back victories in the Listed Flying Handicap (1400m) at Trentham on Saturday.
Sharrock won last year’s edition of the $90,000 race at Awapuni with Tavattack, who powered home for an impressive win over subsequent big-race stars El Vencedor and Maria Farina.
Tavattack is back again on Saturday to defend that title, and Sharrock rates him the pick of his stable’s Flying Handicap trio.
The Tavistock gelding was back in winning form at Otaki last start, carrying 59.5kg to score impressively over 1200m on February 24. The seven-year-old drops to 55.5kg on Saturday, with Craig Grylls again taking the ride.
“I think Tavattack could be a very strong chance again this weekend,” Sharrock said.
“He’s a pretty smart horse, he gets in nicely at the weights and he’s got the blinkers back on. He should go well.”
Sharrock will also be represented by the 12-race winner Justaskme, who will carry the 60kg topweight with Michael McNab aboard.
The eight-year-old is being pointed towards the Listed ACG Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui on June 1 – a race he won last year.
“They’ll run Justaskme off his feet on Saturday,” Sharrock said.
“Realistically, there’s probably only one race on the calendar that he’s capable of winning these days, which is the weight-for-age race at Wanganui. We’re gearing his whole campaign around that race.”
Sharrock’s Flying Handicap trio is completed by the exciting four-year-old mare Alexandra Quick, who will carry the equal minimum weight of 53kg with Matt Cameron in the saddle.
This will be only the fourth career start for the daughter of Per Incanto, who produced stunning finishes from seemingly hopeless positions to win her first two starts.
She was a beaten favourite when a last-start fifth at Otaki on February 24.
“We found a few little issues with Alexandra Quick after her disappointing run at Otaki,” Sharrock said.
“We think we’re on top of those now, and as people know, she’s a bit freakish when she puts everything together on the track.
“The connections have a full-brother going through the Easter Sale in Sydney, so they’re keen to have a crack at some black type with her before that yearling goes through the ring. We’ll roll the dice and see what happens.”
Bookmakers rates Tavattack a $3.80 favourite to defend his Flying Handicap title, while Alexandra Quick is an $11 chance and Justaskme is at $16.
Sharrock will also be represented by a pair of leading chances at Wanganui on Friday.
Tavi Ann goes into the Fraser Auret Racing (1600m) as a placegetter in both of her last two starts over the same distance, and Triston Moodley’s 3kg claim takes her down to just 53.5kg.
Bella Timing is a half-sister to former Sharrock stable star Tavi Mac.
The three-year-old Time Test filly has shown some bright promise of her own with a win, a third and a fifth from her three starts so far, and Sharrock is running her in Friday’s Tina Egan Pre-Training (1200m) in preference to a three-year-old sprint at Trentham on Saturday.
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