Her last spin around on the heavy saw her bolt away with a different Breeders Stakes at Egmont, and while that was six weeks ago and she hasn’t trialled since, Sharrock says fitness is not an issue.
“She has worked really well with [open-class galloper] Butler this week and her recovery after those gallops has been outstanding,” says Sharrock.
“Maybe the one question mark is she hasn’t raced right-handed but she is a real racehorse so that shouldn’t bother her and when I saw it come up heavy I’ll admit I couldn’t believe my luck.”
Almost as important as Darci La Bella’s love for the wet is so many of her key rivals having indifferent or even no form on the heavy surface, and while she has already shortened from her $3.50 opening quote, she might start close to $2.
While Sharrock is excited by the wet track, trainers’ premiership leader Mark Walker now goes to Pukekohe more hopeful than confident.
His strongest hand is in the $130,000 Counties Cup with last season’s NZ Oaks quinella of Self Obsession and Belle En Rouge.
Belle En Rouge has the more proven heavy track form, having beaten La Crique on a heavy Taupō track last season, but Walker says he still opts for Self Obsession.
“I looked up her wet form and it isn’t bad, but just as importantly she is a really gutsy racehorse so she will give her best,” says Walker.
“Belle En Rouge should cop it but I am hoping it is a summer heavy where they are running 1:14-type times for 1200m than some of the winter heavies we see.”
The Cup has now become a puzzling mix of horses without much heavy track form and horses who have it but without proven staying prowess or recent form.
The same applies in the Counties Bowl, today’s major sprint where how the track is playing by that stage of the day could decide the chances of class acts like Dragon Leap and Letzbeglam, who are devoid of heavy track form, with a mare like Sassy Merlot perhaps providing some value for punters.