Racing: Don't forget Wahid, says Sharrock

He won the New Zealand Derby at his last start. He was last season's top three-year-old. Next week he could be crowned Horse of the Year.

But despite those factors Wahid is outside the favoured division for the $200,000 Mudgway Stakes (1400m) at Hastings today.

Wahid was yesterday at $10 on the New Zealand TAB's fixed-odds market to be the fifth most favoured horse to win the group one weight-for-age race.

Taranaki trainer Allan Sharrock said Wahid was too good a horse to be taken lightly.

"What you have to remember is it's his first time back on a firm surface since the derby and it's his first time back in blinkers," Sharrock said.

"That's what punters have to be very mindful of. They are two very strong contributing factors.

"I definitely wouldn't forget the horse, he's too good a galloper for that."

Wahid is having the first of a new campaign after winning the $600,000 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie in March.

That was his second group one win of the season, having won the $200,000 Levin Classic (1600m) at Otaki last November.

Wahid has had two trials races to help fit him for today's assignment - he finished fifth in the first and was second in the other.

But each time the track was heavy for the trial races and Sharrock said Wahid "hates" such footing. As a consequence it had been difficult to get a line on him.

"His last trial was on a bog, but he was never let go and travelled nice."

The Mudgway is the first of a group one spring treble at Hastings. The second race is the $150,000 Stoney Bridge Stakes (1600m) on September 23 and the third is the $1 million Kelt Capital Stakes (2040m) on October 7.

Sharrock suggested Wahid could be better suited to the latter two races after he weighed the horse this week. He said Wahid tipped the scales at 477kg. He had won the derby weighing 464kg.

Darci Brahma continues to dominate betting. Yesterday he attracted bets of $2000 and $1500 at prices of $2.30. For a while his dividend was shortened to $2.15 before being again let out to $2.30. Seachange is at $6.50, Kristov $7 and Calveen $7.50.

- NZPA