Racing: Angry trainer reins in media

Allan Sharrock is refusing to talk to the media as a result of Wahid missing out on being named champion 3-Year-Old Of The Year in last week's awards.

The Taranaki trainer is disgusted that Darci Brahma was awarded the title ahead of Wahid.

The Herald learned of the edict when it contacted Sharrock yesterday and asked if Wahid would be running in Saturday's $75,000 Merial Mile at Awapuni, for which he is an acceptor, and next week's $200,000 Mudgway Stakes, where he is one of the favourites.

"Sorry, no comment - this horse is off limits," was his response.

Sharrock said he feels he, his horses, his owners and his apprentice Matt Cameron have had a terrible deal.

"The incident when Matt wasn't sent to Dubai to represent New Zealand was disgraceful."

Despite having the greater number of winners as New Zealand's leading apprentice, Cameron was overlooked in favour of Matamata apprentice Buddy Mammas.

"The owners of Wahid have been shafted," said an extremely upset Sharrock.

"How could Darci Brahma win [the award] ahead of Wahid.

"Compare the two records - there is no comparison. Wahid won the Derby. Money buys a lot of favours in this game. We've been rorted for the second year running. And as a result the press can stay out of this horse.

"I feel bitter for these boys that own this horse - we'll just do our thing. We'll just chip away in our own little dogbox. I'm sorry, but that's the way things are going to be."

Last season Darci Brahma won the Hawkes Bay and Wellington Guineas in the spring, both at group three level, on his way to taking the group one 2000 Guineas at Riccarton.

He came back in the autumn to beat Kristov at group one level at Otaki on his way to an Australian campaign.

Wahid won first-up at Manawatu and Otaki in the spring and took the group one Bayer Classic on November 24.

He was relegated from first to third in the group three Wellington Stakes in January, won at group three level at Te Rapa in early February and took the group two Derby Trial on his way to a dominating win in the group one Mercedes Derby.

Traditionally Sharrock has been a wonderful contact for the press.

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The Logan/Gibbs stable has a A$600,000 ($702,000) decision to make.

And perhaps the answer can come from Ring Of Fire's performance in the $25,000 Oceanz Seaford on his home track at Ruakaka on Saturday.

Ring Of Fire is a definite starter for the A$600,000 Metropolitan Handicap at Randwick in three weeks and how he races on Saturday may throw an indirect pointer to whether similarly talented stablemate El Perez should join him in Sydney.

El Perez scored a brilliant win at Ellerslie on Saturday in his first start since a successful mid-winter Melbourne campaign.

In the back of Donna Logan's mind is that the stable has three weeks to lift El Perez from last weekend's 1400m to the 2400m of the Metropolitan.

"It's a bit of an ask, but he's the sort of horse that charges around and helps get himself fit. He's not the sort that needs to be going around every week at the race."

El Perez won by only a neck from the fast-closing Baltaine on Saturday, but rider Noel Harris had started to ease him down and, additionally, the horse appeared to slightly check himself

Ring Of Fire has already proved himself a stayer with victory in the New Zealand St Leger, followed by a group three 2200m Eagle Farm win.

Logan sees El Perez as an outstanding staying prospect. "He's got such an enormous sprint. Look at him on Saturday, he sprinted from such a long way out."

Another unknown for the stable is the immediate future for stable rider Catherine Treymane, who missed the El Perez ride last weekend after some of her stomach muscles pulled away from a pelvic attachment.

Treymane is keen to ride two of the Logan/Gibbs horses at Ruakaka on Saturday, but Logan has said that will depend on how the rider feels after a quiet hit-out on one of her runners at today's Ellerslie barrier trials.

"I told Catherine that her value to the stable is so great that if would be preferable to wait, but she's keen."

Grant Cooksley has been engaged for Ring Of Fire in Sydney and Treymane is in the running for El Perez if fully fit.

"If El Perez doesn't go to Sydney he'll run in the 1900m at Rotorua the week after the Metropolitan."

That race is the $70,000 First Sovereign Trust Rotorua Plate, rated at group three.

The field for the Oceanz Seafood is headed by Ring Of Fire's stablemate Zabeat, under 59.5kg.

Class act Cog Hill, with 61kg, is clear topweight in the other feature, the Logan Racing Stables Handicap.