Racing: Sharrock's 'wrong' one takes Te Rapa honours

This was not a result Allan Sharrock anticipated.

The story was told by the wide-mouthed frog imitation he gave as he watched on the television in the Te Rapa jockeys' room as Don't Ya Lovett burst to the lead at the 200m.

"What?" exclaimed the Taranaki trainer.

Sharrock had expected stablemate Go Thenaki to win.

And why not. For the winner of 11 races, Go Thenaki was remarkably well placed with just 53.5kg, essentially the minimum weight.

But the class of Don't Ya Lovett was the determining factor. "Oh well, there goes my Opunake Cup."

Last winter Sharrock set Don't Ye Lovett for the Opunake Cup and Riccarton's Winter Cup. The talented mudder finished second in the Opunake Cup then won at Riccarton. Sharrock was out for revenge.

Don't Ya Lovett was one of three winners on the programme for comeback jockey Opie Bosson. "He got in behind them in the home straight, but once he saw daylight that was it."

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Noel Harris is tipping a good handicap win this winter for Art Link after riding him to victory at Te Rapa on Saturday.

It was a typically cool ride from Harris and he confirmed what you suspected visually, that Art Link probably had a bit left at the finish despite the relative closeness of the margin.

"I rode him here a couple of weeks ago on a very heavy track and he wasn't quite ready for it. Even today I spent most of the race saying, 'Whoa, whoa'. He'll improve."

Art Link should not be a difficult horse to place for wheelchair-bound Cambridge trainer Ray Peake.

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Vinny Colgan believes the winning run of Surprizer Phew is a long way from being over.

Surprizer Phew scored his sixth win from just 10 starts when he comfortably held out well-fancied Danz Star on Saturday.

Danz Star tried hard in the closing stages and should be improved for the run, his first for seven months.