Racing: Stablemates keep 'em guessing

Allan Sharrock is a touch gunshy about predicting results around his two class acts Don't Ya Lovett and Go Thenaki.

Understandably.

Last winter at Ellerslie Go Thenaki won when the stable backed Don't Ya Lovett and at Te Rapa two weeks ago Don't Ya Lovett scored an easy win when Sharrock thought Go Thenaki was a weight special.

He has strong feelings about tomorrow's $30,000 Newmarket Rotary Club 1200 at Ellerslie, but is happy to moderate them.

The weight scale tells him that Don't Ya Lovett should beat the stablemate, but he's not holding his breath on it.

"They've worked the same as they did going into the Te Rapa race, the only difference is that Go Thenaki has had a hurdle trial since then and is possibly the harder and fitter of the two.

"But Don't Ya Lovett is the more consistent and for sheer class and consistency you'd say he was the one.

"Then again, if Go Thenaki puts his best game forward he's more than capable of winning it."

At Te Rapa, Sharrock put an apprentice claim up on only Go Thenaki and Don't Ya Lovett carried Opie Bosson and his full 58kg.

This time both will claim an apprentice allowance.

"I've got in my opinion the best two 3kg claimers around at the moment, Ryan Allwood (Don't Ya Lovett) and Craig Grylls, which puts me right in the race."

Sharrock has two aims this winter with Don't Ya Lovett.

The first is the Opunake Cup in July, a race that irks Sharrock because the horse was an unlucky second in it last winter.

Then he wants to tackle the 1400m weight-for-age Liston Stakes in Melbourne.

"I've won the race twice before with Kairau Lad and Jim's Mate and I'd love to take it a third time.

"By the time that race comes around in the early spring he'll have too much weight for handicap races and he'll be a weight-for-age performer on slow tracks.

"Often in the early spring in Melbourne the tracks are rain-affected, the only downside is that they've switched the race from Sandown to Caulfield, which I'm not that keen on."

Weight will be a big factor in tomorrow's race.

At Te Rapa, Don't Ya Lovett conceded Go Thenaki 4.5kg and beat him by 2.75 lengths.

This time with both horses claiming, there is only 1.5kg between them.

Even if Go Thenaki is slightly more forward because of his jumping trial, that puts the race much more in line for Don't Ya Lovett again.

Class mare Focal Point resumes after a spell and a win would surprise.

She is bound for some rich races at the tail end of the Queensland winter carnival and should be in need of this run.

"She has never won fresh from a spell," says co-trainer Donna Logan.

"She has always shown her form in the second and third races in her campaigns and the heavy track will be against her.

"She will definitely improve with the race."