Racing: Trainer's skill rewarded

Allan Sharrock displayed his all-round skills as a professional horse trainer when producing Don't Ya Lovett to score a well-deserved victory in the $80,000 Winter Cup at Riccarton.

The New Plymouth-based trainer is widely acknowledged as an astute trainer when it comes to peaking an equine athlete for any feature event.

However Sharrock's training skills were well and truly tested in the 36 hours leading up to the Winter Cup, when Don't Ya Lovett arrived in Christchurch with a minor infection in the near-side front leg.

"I've had all sorts of problems over the last month with the near-side front leg, as he cut that leg leading into his last-start when finishing second behind Hamilton Road in the Opunake Cup," said Sharrock.

"He rubbed the tendon area in that same leg travelling down in the float to Riccarton this week and the whole leg blew up quite badly with an infection.

"I couldn't treat it with antibiotics as we'd have had to scratch him from this race, so we had to go back and use a few of the old school techniques to clear the leg up.

"The leg looked very good this morning and it obviously didn't trouble him because he warmed up well and went out and did the job.

"He's a very genuine racehorse and now I'll take him home and give him one more start, then I'll set him for the Counties Cup at Pukekohe.

"He has come a long way from the horse that finished 12th in this race a year ago [behind stablemate Go Thenaki] and I'm certain he'll improve with more racing."

Don't Ya Lovett settled off the pace before unleashing a powerful and sustained sprint finish down the outer of the track in the home stretch to win by a half-neck over the fast closing Star Of The Ball.

A further three-quarters of a length away in third position was the pace-setting Bejayjay.

The 6-year-old Lord Ballina-sired gelding has been a model of consistency scoring seven wins and five minor placings from 14 starts.

Winning jockey Leith Innes was in great form also combining with the Peter McKenzie-trained stablemates Sculptor and Miles to take out minor supporting events.

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No Hero recorded a classy course debut victory at Riccarton in the NZI Koral Steeplechase.

No Hero carried the joint topweight of 66.5 kilograms and scored by a long neck over Ultimate Game, with a further 11 lengths away to Garaina (third).

All honours were with the winner who was debuting on the roomy left-handed track and will be in better shape for next Saturday's feature steeplechase.

No Hero has fashioned a faultless steeplechasing record-six wins and two minor placings-from nine starts and won with ease yesterday despite the long neck margin.

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Apprentice jockey Kelly Myers buried many Pick6 punters' hopes in the opening leg of the $1 million pool at Riccarton yesterday.

Myers combined with 64-1 shot Quantum Classic to score a determined three-quarter length victory over fellow longshot Shaq The Cat in the 1000-metre event.

The quinella paid a tasty dividend of $751.75 and the trifecta was a massive $25,424.45, courtesy of the little fancied Baluchi finishing third.

The favourite Never Ending battled into ninth position.

Quantum Classic, a 5-year-old Masterclass-sired gelding, is trained at Ashburton by Lester Morris.

He has a useful record at Riccarton, scoring two wins and one minor placing from eight starts but was ignored by punters.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY