Saturday’s Gr.1 Rydges Wellington Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) could be a swansong to New Zealand racing, at least for a while, for class Taranaki gelding Justaskme (NZ) (No Excuse Needed).
The six-year-old has been one of the best wet-weather gallopers in the past 12 months and showed his adeptness in the conditions with a facile five-length victory in the Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) at Tauranga on November 13.
With rain forecast for Trentham this week, Justaskme will clearly be in the reckoning for the weight-for-age Captain Cook Stakes if the track has any give in it.
But trainer Allan Sharrock said Justaskme may head to an Australian stable in the very near future because he was becoming difficult to place with his 101 rating, which went up five points after his Tauranga victory.
It came three weeks after finishing a length-and-three-quarters second in the Gr.3 Thompson Handicap (1600m) to Cheaperthandivorce, while conceding her 7kg. At weight-for-age Justaskme would only have conceded her 2.5kg.
“It’s a little bit frustrating at his current rating because he can only race at weight-for-age because he’s weighted out of everything else,” said Sharrock, who owns Justaskme along with his brother Bruce and former rugby league star Tony Kemp.
“He might find his way over to Australia to another trainer in autumn. It becomes too hard to find races for them.
“Other than Hastings next spring, there aren’t many options at weight-for-age for a horse that wants an off track.”
Sharrock said he was encouraged by Australia in part by the success of former New Zealand mare Polly Grey, who won the Listed ATC Cup (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday. She has earned more than A$500,000 since joining the Chris Waller stable last year, having also won the Gr.3 Epona Stakes (1900m), Listed Gosford Cup (2100m) and Listed Mayors Cup (2000m) this year.
If Justaskme goes well in the Captain Cook Stakes he may be set for the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Boxing Day, or else he will be spelled. A decision will be made at that stage whether he will head to Australia or not.
Justaskme will be Sharrock’s only runner at Trentham on Saturday, with cult horse Tavi Mac being held back for the Gr.2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) at Awapuni on December 18.
Tavi Mac was one of the best horses in New Zealand last spring but apart from a victory in the Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m) at Rotorua in October, he has been well short of that form this year.
“I found some issues in his back, so hopefully we’ve rectified that. He certainly wasn’t the same horse this spring,” Sharrock said.
Tavi Mac’s half-sister Darci La Bella has also shown very good form, winning four of her six starts. She is likely to race in an open sprint at Awapuni on December 11.
Meanwhile, two of Sharrock’s staying prospects, Waisake and Our Hail Mary, have both raced twice. They are being set for the major cup races in late summer.
“Our Hail Mary is heading towards a tilt at either the Auckland or Wellington Cup, while Waisake is getting ready for the Wellington Cup and possibly Sydney or Auckland,” he said.
“They are both doing well, and Our Hail Mary ran really well the other day.”
Sharrock’s best three-year-old prospect is Shamus, who has won both his starts. “He’s a nice horse and we are setting him for the Levin Classic (Gr.1, 1600m),” Sharrock said.
