By BARRY STREET
Allan Sharrock wants more of the weather Aucklanders have been bearing for the past couple of days - regular showers - for Rodney Red in the $20,000 main race at Ellerslie tomorrow.
It is now a year since the Sharrock-trained sprinter Rodney Red won a race, but the main reason for that has been unsuitable tracks.
"It has to be raining on the day [the horse races]," the New Plymouth boss of whiz kid jockey Michael Walker said from the Otaki race meeting yesterday.
"He definitely goes best when it's wet and loose."
Ironically, the track was firm at the corresponding Auckland meeting a year ago when Rodney Red cleared class three with a decisive 1200m win in 1:9.74 over Grindley and Guided Missile.
Since then he has had an exasperating run of three seconds, four thirds and a fourth in 17 starts, several without much luck, in all sorts of ground.
Two of his best recent efforts were a third behind Goldbrearne at Trentham and a last-start second to Flying Chief at Ellerslie.
This time he meets Flying Chief on 1kg better terms.
Rodney Red will also race without blinkers tomorrow, Sharrock says.
"With blinkers last time, he was distracted by a horse alongside him and didn't kick on as well as he can. It cost him the race by a head.
"From his position in the weights this time, I think he'll definitely be hard to beat.
With Michael Walker riding at Awapuni tomorrow Rodney Red will be ridden by Trudy Collett.
Two much-improved sprinters not long qualified for open class loom as dangers to Rodney Red in the Stark South Handicap.
One is Jaiapeno, who stormed from last to first in his open-class debut, over 1200m at Foxton, last Sunday week.
Jaiapeno's form line reads 2-1-2-1. Against him this time will be track probably deeper than he likes and an ace draw that could land him in the worst going.
The other up-and-comer is Adonis, unbeaten in his last three races, each over 1200m on tracks which varied from easy to soft and heavy, though not that heavy.
Adonis has not been to the races for a month.
Tomorrow's other main race at Ellerslie, the 2100m Steinlager Handicap, will be a final lead-up for several horses seeking Mitchelson Cup honours at Ellerslie next month.
Among them are Faiross and Te Poi Spirit, who chased home Watch Officer over 2100m at Ellerslie a fortnight ago.
Should Sharrock get his way with showers tomorrow, the connections of Faiross and Te Poi Spirit may also be singing in the rain.
Racing: Rodney ready for rain
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