By MIKE DILLON
It was Allan Sharrock's worst nightmare.
He had one wish when his much-troubled Willie Capone went out to resume at Hastings - he wanted as soft a run as possible.
What he got was as far from soft as Jonah Lomu's thighs.
Gut-buster barely covers what Willie Capone had to produce to beat Vulpix by a nose and it will cost the talented 3-year-old a shot at the Hawkes Bay Guineas.
"I'm going to have to cushion him after that," said Sharrock yesterday, reflecting on the hard ride Michael Walker had to throw at Willie Capone to stave off Vulpix.
"I'll give him a week off and maybe aim for something on Kelt Capital Stakes day at Hastings instead of the Guineas."
Missing the Hawkes Bay Guineas might also mean missing the $A750,000 Caulfield Guineas in October, but Sharrock was not prepared to totally rule out the race.
"A lot depends on what he does next start.
"He's got a long season ahead of him and we're in no real hurry."
Apart from Willie Capone running the risk of flattening himself, Sharrock saw a lot of positives in the race.
"He blew up badly afterwards. Kiwi Hawtin even remarked on when they were unsaddling how quickly his horseVulpix settled back compared to our bloke.
"The track was not conducive to speed horses. It was okay compared to what we've been racing on, but it wasn't fast and that's what he needs to produce his speed.
"And Michael [Walker] is of the opinion he needs blinkers. He said when Ballina Kate came round him at the 700m he wanted to duck into the running rail.
"I suppose that's understandable because he was in front in all his races last season."
Sharrock expects a lot of improvement in Willie Capone.
"He was only 90 per cent and yet he still staved them off - he's got a real ticker in him."
Vulpix will run in the Hawkes Bay Guineas then join Graeme Rogerson's new stable in Dubai.
"I know the other horse came to the end of his run and made our effort look a little bit better, but it was still a good run," said co-trainer Keith Hawtin of Vulpix.
Racing: Capone pulls out all stops
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