New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock will be represented by a talented team of half a dozen on his home track on Saturday afternoon, including a pair of potential black-type contenders in the day’s open handicap feature.
Sharrock will saddle Sumi and Justaskme in the $40,000 The Rock FM (1400m), and both could be in line for a shot at the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m) at Trentham the following weekend.
Sumi brings a consistent formline into Saturday’s race.
The daughter of Atlante was a placegetter at Hastings and Trentham, then ventured to Te Rapa and scored an impressive win over Freeze Frame in an open 1400m race on April 14.
Those two rivals lined up again for a rematch on April 27, with a weight swing in Freeze Frame’s favour, and the result was reversed as Sumi finished third behind Freeze Frame and Karman Line.
Sumi was a placegetter in the Group 3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) on this day last year, but Sharrock decided against taking a second shot at the fillies and mares’ feature.
“I was happy with her performance again when she placed at Te Rapa the other day,” he said.
“She just over-raced in the early part of the race, but she was good to the line.
“I’ve decided to line her up at home on Saturday, and then there’s a Listed race at Trentham coming up that we can have a look at. That’s probably a better plan than travelling to Rotorua to take on La Crique at weight-for-age this weekend.
“I’m happy with how she’s progressing in this campaign and she should run well again.”
Sumi will carry 54kg on Saturday and will be ridden by Ashvin Goindasamy.
A similar pathway looms for 12-race winner Justaskme, who carried 59kg when outside the placings in the Group 3 Easter Handicap (1600m) on April 27.
Elle Sole’s 4kg claim will reduce his impost to 58kg this weekend.
“He’ll run on Saturday and then probably back up into Trentham a week later as well,” Sharrock said.
“There’s two weeks into the Listed weight-for-age race over 1600m at Wanganui after that, so it should be a good build-up for that race, which is our main target.
“He’s going really well. I thought his Easter Handicap run was okay under that weight, and he’s heading in the right direction.”
Another notable member of Sharrock’s New Plymouth contingent on Saturday is Bridal Train, who is the third emergency for the HEL Rimu (1800m) and is also entered for the Seaton Park (1600m).
The three-year-old daughter of U S Navy Flag has had six starts for a win, three seconds and a third, and she was a strong-finishing second placegetter at Te Rapa last start behind the Queensland-bound filly Tomodachi.
“I think Bridal Train is a pretty good filly and she’s going super at the moment,” Sharrock said.
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