"But I don't think he can give the mare [Darci La Bella] 5kg and beat her if they both get good runs.
"She is a very good mare and comes into this race so well placed in the weights.
"Her work both last Saturday and this week has been superb and I can see her sitting handy fifth or sixth and when she goes bang they will need to be good to keep up with her.
"So she is top pick but I will be telling Lisa (Allpress, jockey) not to look back if she hits the lead because the other fella will be charging late."
The Ōpunake Cup has attracted one of the best fields of the winter with plenty of either in-form or group performed horses but the most glaring anomaly is seeing perennial topweight Helena Baby down on 53kg in the race he won three years ago.
He has raced somewhat more dour than he used to this campaign since returning from a failed Hong Kong career but he simply won't know himself carrying the minimum instead of his usual 60kg topweight.
That comes about because of Justaskme's 101 rating compressing the weights and the rare sight of seven horses rated in the 90s in a winter handicap.
Helena Baby will never get a better chance to return to something like his best but the chances spread far wider than that, with in-form northerners Mont Ventoux and Oseleta both winning chances from down in the weights, with the predicted very heavy track probably suiting the former better.
Away from the feature race Sharrock suggests he can have a good day with the rest of his team.
He rates maiden Stevie Nix (R1, No3) an obvious chance but says his later maiden, Cherry Rose (R7, No 10) is also a handy chance even though she competes in a tough MAAT race. Sharrock also rates Aricina (R8, No5) a good chance.