Racing: Sharrock the season's million-dollar man

Becoming the first lower North Island trainer to win more than $1 million in a season isn't the only incentive New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock needs to win tomorrow's Waikato Stud Opunake Cup with Don't Ya Lovett.

Sharrock has had a stellar season, headlined by Wahid's Mercedes Derby and Levin Classic victories, and added to most recently by Stitched in last Saturday's Wellington Steeplechase.

Going into the Opunake Racing Club meeting at Hawera tomorrow, Sharrock's stake tally for the season is $959,545.

The Opunake Cup winner's prize is $47,000, so victory with Don't Ya Lovett would lift his tally to seven figures.

"I suppose it would be a feather in my cap if I got there, but as it stands I can't complain about how things have gone," Sharrock said. "It's been a fantastic season."

But he gets more serious when it comes to pinpointing Don't Ya Lovett's readiness for tomorrow's 1400m event.

"I couldn't be happier with him. This is the race we set him for a while ago and he'll strip very fit," he said. "The blinkers going back on gives me that much more confidence."

Sharrock has started the rising seven-year-old three times this preparation for a first-up success at Te Rapa, an unlucky fifth at Ellerslie and a highly impressive win at Te Awamutu two weeks ago.

That was over 1150m, and Sharrock admits to some surprise at the manner of the performance.

"I really thought at the distance they'd have the wood on him. I knew he still had another turn in him, but I've watched the replay and Opie [Bosson] only had to hit him three times. It made me stop and think how well he's come back."

Don't Ya Lovett finished a long neck second to Hamilton Road in last year's Opunake Cup, carrying 53.5kg.

At his next start he won the Winter Cup at Riccarton, so factoring in his most recent form, nobody could argue against the Lord Ballina gelding's extra 4kg tomorrow.

"It's a strong field and he'll need to be at his best," said Sharrock. "Next year they're talking $100,000, so it's great to see a country club having a go like that."

Bosson has been in sparkling form with 28 wins at a strike-rate of less than six in one since returning to the saddle two months ago, and the Te Awamutu win was sufficient to confirm his Opunake Cup booking.

One of the combination's toughest rivals will be Magnetism, who Bosson rode to a bold fresh-up second at Rotorua a month ago.

The upstanding bay drops more than 5kg from the 60.5kg he carried in that quality sprint and will have his Great Northern Guineas-winning jockey Andrew Calder on board.

Cambridge trainer Ralph Manning is convinced that Magnetism is a far more effective galloper this time around, as chronic soreness in his stifles is no longer an issue after an operation.

"He came through Rotorua well and he'll be much fitter this time," Manning said.

Rejuvenated topweight Zvezda was unable to withstand Leica Guv after dragging him into the final stages of the Te Awamutu Cup two weeks ago, but the extra seasoning he derived from that will stand to him in tomorrow's testing conditions.

* Latest odds - Opunake Cup, $75,000, opn hcp, 1400m (run at Hawera tomorrow):

$3 Don't Ya Lovett; $6 Magnetism; $9 Bulginbaah, Zvezda; $11 Floydeboy, Baltaine; $16 Woodbury Lane, Bus Us; $20 Mikki Street; $22 Avaroadi; $25 Betcha Wood, Whatronnielikes; $30 Quest For Kash; $40 French Crest, Marty Boy.